U.S. Finally Overcomes Cuba in Baseball

For the first time in 12 years, the U.S. baseball team beat the world champion Cubans in a major competition, scoring five runs in the ninth inning Wednesday for a 10-5 victory at the Pan American Games.

For the Cubans, who split two exhibition games with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this year, it was a stunning defeat. They had not lost to the U.S. in such an event since the 1987 Pan-Am Games at Indianapolis.

Craig Paquette (Golden West College) had a two-run homer in seventh and Marcus Jensen hit a three-run homer in the ninth for the Americans.

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In men’s soccer, Canada beat Guatemala, 2-1, in a rowdy game that included six ejections. Police rushed to the field to protect U.S. referee Richard Grady in the final minute after his fourth ejection of a Guatemalan player. He also ejected both team’s coaches.

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In track and field, Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey, criticized for not running in the 100 meters, ran the opening leg on Canada’s 400 relay team, which recorded the fastest time in the semifinals, 38.74 seconds. In the women’s 1,500 meters, legally blind Marla Runyan of Eugene, Ore., crossed the finish line just ahead of Canada’s Leah Pells, even though both had identical times of 4 minutes 16.86 seconds.

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Chris Oeding, formerly of Corona del Mar High, and Gavin Arroyo, a Villa Park High graduate, each scored twice in a 7-3 men’s water polo victory over Brazil that put the U.S. into the gold medal game against Cuba.

* Julie Brandt-Glass of Cypress finished fourth in the women’s roller speed skating half-marathon with a time of 38:12.10.

* Julie Swail, a Valencia High graduate, assisted Corale Simmons on an overtime goal that gave the U.S. women’s water polo team a 6-5 victory over Brazil and a berth in the gold medal game against Canada.

* In sailing, Lanee Butler of Dana Point is first after eight of 12 races in the Mistral Division. Lynn Olinger of Westminster is fourth after eight of 12 races in the Europe Division.

* Erica Sorgi of Mission Viejo finished fourth with 515.85 points in the women’s 3-meter springboard diving finals.