The Industriales Lions, playing as visitors at Nelson Fernández Stadium, defeated the Mayabeque Huracanes 9-4 today and secured a spot in the grand final of the IV Cuban Elite Baseball League.

The blue-clad team, managed by Guillermo Carmona, got their revenge against the only rival that managed to defeat them during the qualifying stage, overcoming them in five games. Starting Thursday, they will seek the title for the capital in a best-of-seven duel against the Las Tunas Leñadores.

Weather conditions halted the action in the very first inning, and after the resumption — a little over an hour and a half later — the Lions scored two runs thanks to a combination of a single, an error, two walks, and a hit batter charged to starter and losing pitcher Leodan Reyes.

In the third inning, they extended the lead when Reyes issued two more walks and allowed an RBI hit by Yaser Julio González, which drove him from the mound.

The Blues scored two more runs in the fifth inning off reliever Kevin Hernández, one of them driven in by a single from Andrys Pérez, who delivered the knockout blow in the ninth with a home run with one man aboard.

In the seventh, with Jenier Álvarez on the mound, the felines manufactured another pair on a double by Ariel Hechavarría that landed like acid rain on the Mayabeque venue's stands.

Carlos Manuel Cuesta earned the win after traveling a stretch of six and one-third innings with two runs to his account, driven in by doubles from Alexander Pozo and Jeison Martínez.

In the eighth inning, Dennis Laza hit a two-run homer off Juan Xavier Peñalver to bring the Huracanes closer, but the lead was already too large for a comeback.