PAN AMERICAN GAMES : The Day in Review

Baseball

The United States didn’t play on Sunday, but it was able to see how good the Cuban team was in a 14-6 rout of Nicaragua. The rivals will meet in round-robin play Sunday.

Five Cuban players accounted for seven home runs, including three in a row in the eighth inning. More than 30,000 fans arrived at least two hours early to watch the game in a steady rain. In other games, the Dominican Republic defeated Netherlands Antilles, 4-3, Mexico beat Aruba, 8-1, and Puerto Rico downed Canada, 12-8.

Men’s Basketball

For the second time in as many days, a backboard was shattered during warm-ups. This time it was the dunk of Glenroy Ferguson of the Bahamas who brought down the rim and raised a cheer from the crowd at the Sports City Coliseum. Ferguson went on to score 36 points in the Bahamas’ 104-96 victory over Argentina in overtime. In Sunday’s other game, Brazil beat Uruguay, 94-72. The United States plays today against Venezuela.

Cycling

The four-member American team of Jeanne Golay, Shari Rodgers, Jan Bolland and Dede Demet won a gold medal in the women’s 50-kilometer cycling event time trial. The time of 1:03.53 established an automatic Pan American Games record. The women’s team time trial is new to the games this year.

The American men finished third behind Cuba and Colombia in the 100-kilometer race. The Cubans and Colombians had the same final time, but the tiebreaker (tenths of seconds) went to Cuba, 2:08:56.09 to 2:08:56.39.

Gymnastics

The U.S. women jumped into first place in the team competition behind Stephanie Woods of Austin, Tex., who led all gymnasts after the compulsories with 38.425 points. Woods had the highest score in floor exercise and balance beam. Team captain Chelle Stack of Birmingham, Ala., finished compulsories with 38.150 points. Other strong American performances were turned in by Hillary Anderson of West Granby, Conn., with 37.975, and Kristen McDermott of Brooklyn, N.Y., at 37.875. The American women had 190.525 points, well ahead of Cuba (187.800) and Brazil (187.275).

Softball

The U.S. men’s team, coming off a no-hitter by Bob Ginger, was a bit more generous. Al Rebling gave up two hits and struck out 17 as the Americans beat Panama, 3-1. The game was tied, 1-1, until the seventh inning, when Bob Brush’s hit a two-run homer. Also in men’s play, Mexico downed the Dominican Republic, 8-3, the Bahamas beat Argentina, 5-0, Cuba routed Aruba, 21-0, and Canada beat the Antilles, 8-1.

In women’s play, the United States beat Canada, 1-0, as Lisa Fernandez of Long Beach and UCLA pitched a one-hitter. The only hit came in the seventh. Suzy Brazney’s RBI single in the first was the only hit for the Americans. In other women’s games, Puerto Rico edged Venezuela, 3-2, Cuba beat Nicaragua, 4-1, and the Netherlands Antilles stopped the Bahamas, 7-2.

Team Handball

The United States, needing to win the gold medal to qualify for the 1992 Olympics, nearly stumbled before edging heavy underdog Argentina, 22-21. Argentina led, 13-12, at halftime and was tied, 21-21, with three seconds left when Bryant Johnson fired in the winning goal. Darrick Heath, Tom Fitzgerald and Craig Fitschen each had four goals for the Americans.

Track and Field

Sabrina Dornhoefer, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo., became the first track and field gold medalist for the United States by winning the women’s 3,000-meter race. Maricarmen Diaz of Mexico was second and Brazil’s Carmen Olivera took the bronze.

Cuba’s Betsy Laza Munoz won the women’s shot put with a throw of 61 feet 11 inches. Connie Price-Smith of St. Charles, Mo., was second with a throw of 60-0, and 1987 gold medalist Ramona Pagel of Los Angeles was third at 58-3.

Sunday’s other gold medalist was Hector Moreno of Colombia, winner of the men’s 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) walk in 1:24:56, six seconds off the games record.