Three baseball players escape from the Cuba team shortly before an exhibition game in Mexico

Three members of the Cuba baseball team left the training camp just prior to the exhibition match against Mexico at the Tepic Stadium, also known as the "Coloso del Pacífico," as reported by journalist Francys Romero.

The Cuban team, which traveled with a roster of 18 players and five pitchers, had to deal with the defection shortly before the match began.

The players who escaped from the delegation were: Branlis Rodríguez (left-handed pitcher from Pinar del Río); Over Cremet (outfielder from Guantánamo); and Alexis Varona (infielder from Havana).

The escape occurred approximately two hours before the team boarded the bus to the stadium for the match, which took place this Wednesday.

Finally, the Cuba team was defeated 9 to 1 by the Mexican national team in the game held at the Tepic Stadium during the inauguration of that venue, which will also be part of Group A in the upcoming Premier 12.

Mexico, the host of the event, showcased a strong offense that included no less than four home runs.

The Cubans took the lead in the third inning, scoring their only run thanks to singles by Jeison Martínez and Lázaro Ponce, followed by a sacrifice fly from Ariel Hechavarría.

However, in the bottom of that inning, Mexico tied the score (1-1) with a single to center field, and from that point onward, it was all downhill for the Cuban team, possibly affected by last-minute absences.

Of the 15 hits connected by Mexico, nine were extra-base hits. The Cuban defense committed two errors and managed only six hits in the game, with Dennys Laza standing out with two hits in four at-bats. Frederich Cepeda, William Saavedra, Jeison Martínez, and Lázaro Ponce also contributed with singles.

Both teams agreed to field lineups of 10 batters, each with two designated hitters. On the Cuban side, only Osvaldo Abreu and Ariel Hechavarría managed to avoid strikeouts, while Frederich Cepeda, Yosvani Alarcón, Yasser Julio González, and Rondón each struck out twice, as revealed by the website Pelotacubanausa.com.