Cuba’s Pacheco Swats His Way Into History

Antonio Pacheco set an Olympic record with seven runs batted in and defending champion Cuba pulled away for a 19-8 victory over Australia in a game shortened to eight innings by the 10-run rule.

Pacheco and Eduardo Peret each hit two-run homers in the decisive sixth inning when the Cubans scored eight runs to pull away from the surprisingly tough Australians.

The game was tied, 8-8, through the fifth.

Pacheco broke the record of six RBIs set by Calvin Wen-Chung of Taiwan and Koji Tokunaga of Japan at the first Olympic baseball competition in Barcelona four years ago.

In addition, Pacheco and Orestes Kindelan each homered twice, tying an Olympic record. And the teams combined to set a record for runs; Taiwan shelled Spain, 20-0, in 1992.

In another game, Yasuyaki Saigo’s pinch three-run homer completed a six-run rally that carried Japan to a 12-2 victory over the Netherlands in a game shortened to seven innings because of the 10-run rule.