The Day in Review : Baseball

Jeff Ware tossed a six-hitter at the Dominican Republic as the United States won the first game it has played in the Games with a 6-1 victory. With the middle of the batting order in a slump, No. 6 hitter Craig Wilson led the bottom of the lineup that combined for eight runs and four runs batted in.

The U.S. hit display, however, wasn’t anything like Cuba’s powerful performance, who continued its long-ball show with four home runs, including two grand slams, to rout Mexico, 22-0. The game was stopped after seven innings by the international 10-run rule.

In other games, Aruba beat the Netherlands Antilles, 6-4, and Nicaragua edged Puerto Rico, 5-4.

Fencing

Guill Betancourt of Cuba won the men’s individual foil by beating Elvis Gregory, also of Cuba, 2-1, to win the gold medal. Gregory, who finished with the silver medal, had defeated Nick Bravin of Los Angeles in the semifinals, 2-1, to advance to the title match.

Bravin and Nicholas Bergeron of Canada tied for the bronze medal. Betancourt beat Bergeron in the semifinals, 2-0.

Jack Tichacek of Cliffside Park, N.J., lost in the quarterfinals to Bravin, 2-1.

Field Hockey

Juan Carlos Benavides scored three times to lead the Cuban men’s team over Jamaica, 6-1.

Also in men’s play, Canada shut out Barbados, 9-0, Argentina beat Chile, 5-2, and Trinidad downed Guyana, 1-0.

The U.S. women and Canada, both undefeated in Group B, play one another today. There were no women’s games Monday.

Gymnastics

Cuba, hardly considered a power in men’s gymnastics, forced the Americans to settle for a silver medal by beating them by a wide margin of more than five points to take the gold medal.

Cuba finished at 580.55 points, followed by the United States (575.45) and Mexico (572.45) which took the bronze.

The women’s team competition will conclude today with the optional portion of the meet. The Americans have a nearly three-point lead over second-place Cuba entering this final phase.

Soccer

Steve Snow scored with five minutes left to lift the United States past Surinam, 1-0. The Surinam goalie made several saves, including one on a penalty kick, but could not stop Snow’s winning kick.

In the other game, Honduras beat Canada 3-1.

Softball

Michelle Granger of Placentia pitched a no-hitter in women’s softball, leading the United States over Puerto Rico, 10-0. In the U.S. team’s first game on Saturday, Debbie Doom pitched a perfect game.

The Americans, who will play the Nicaraguans today, is undefeated at 3-0 and tied with Cuba for the lead in the overall standings.

In other women’s play, Lori Sippel pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11 to lift Canada past Antilles, 4-0. The Bahamas beat Nicaragua, 12-8, and Cuba defeated Venezuela, 10-1.

The U.S. men were also successful, thanks in part to Bill Olsen of Duluth, Minn. His two-out single broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning and the Americans added four runs in the seventh for a 6-1 win over Argentina. Olsen also hit a home run, as did Trent Rubley of Decatur, Ill.

In other games, the Antilles beat Aruba, 4-3, Canada downed the Bahamas, 6-1, and Mexico defeated Panama, 5-0.

Table Tennis

The U.S. men beat Barbados, 3-0, on victories by Sean O’Neill of McLean, Va., Jim Narotan of Iowa City, Iowa, and Dhiren Narotan of Ames, Iowa. The United States is in Group B along with Chile, which beat Jamaica, 3-1. Other men’s winners were Brazil, Nicaragua, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Peru.

In women’s play, where the groupings are different, Venezuela won in Group A, Cuba and Chile in Group B, the Dominican Republic in Group C and Brazil in Group D.

Team Handball

Brazil, which plays the United States today, beat Canada, 31-18. Gilberto Cardoso and Ivan Maseiro each had six goals. Cuba defeated Argentina, 35-12, boosting the hosts into first place with a 2-0 record. Brazil and the United States each have one once, and Canada and Argentina are winless in two attempts. Canada plays Argentina today.

Weightlifting

Cuba’s Hector Arzola won two golds in the 52-kilogram and countryman William Vargas swept all three titles at 56 kilograms.

Arzola took the 52-kilogram clean and jerk and total lift titles. Humberto Fuentes of Venezuela won the snatch. Arzola finished second in the snatch with Orlando Vazquez of Nicaragua finishing third. Vazquez finished second in the clean and jerk and Fuentes third. Fuentes was the silver medalist in the total lift with Vazquez winning the bronze.

Vargas won gold medals in the 56-kilogram snatch, clean and jerk and total lift titles, Jose Farfan of Venezuela won the silver in all three events and Carlos David of Colombia took the bronze, also in all three events.