INTERCONTINENTAL STADIUM. Record world title holder Cuba returned to the 18U Baseball World Cup stage with a 2-1 nail-biter against Korea on Sunday evening at Intercontinental Stadium. In a tight ball game it was a run by Orlando Roas in the top of the seventh, which made the difference between two of the favored squads in the tournament.

Cuba scored first in the contest, as Yusnier Diaz used small ball and a wild pitch to cross the plate in the top of the third to give them a 1-0 lead. It didn’t take long for Korea to even the game, as Ha Seong walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth and came around to score on a one-out triple by Byeong Wuk Lim to right field. They weren’t able to use this good scoring opportunity and paid for it in the end.

In the seventh frame Cuba would decide the outcome. Orlando Roas reached second base on a throwing error by Korea’s shortstop Woo Jun Sim, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the tie-breaking run on a double by Moises Esquerre. It was just one of three hits for Cuba in the game, which did enough to prevail in the end.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a runner on second, Korea had one last chance to tie the game. Jin Seok Lee stepped to the plate and hit a single to short. Woo Jun Sim, who had reached with a walk and advanced with a sac bunt, tried to score on the infield hit. However Sim was called out at the plate on the play to home, ending the game.

Ariel Diaz picked up the win, issuing just one run on six hits and three walks in seven innings. Aldo Conrado closed out the victory with a pair of scoreless frames. Ji Seob Lim got charged with the loss despite giving up only two hits, two unearned runs and five base on balls in seven innings as well. Ju Seong Han kept Korea close afterwards.