Cuba roll on, Australia get back on track

Sydney: Defending champions Cuba rolled to another lopsided victory in Olympic baseball on Monday, while Australia kept their medal hopes alive by overtaking South Korea.

Cuba, aroused by a controversial umpire's call that turned a fourth-inning double into an out, broke open a 5-5 tie with two runs in the fourth and six in the fifth to register a 13-5 victory over Italy.

Australia, surprise first-round losers on Sunday to the Netherlands, were desperate for a victory to keep their medal chances alive and got it with a come-from-behind 5-3 win against South Korea, 10-2 winners over Italy in the first round.

Catcher David Nilsson tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh inning with a line-drive double into the gap in right centre, and leftfielder Glenn Reeves ripped a double of his own with the bases full in the next inning to provide the winning margin.

''There are times you dream of something like that at a crucial time when the game is on the line, and it worked out,'' said Reeves.

Nilsson, who struck out with the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning, got a second life in his seventh inning at-bat when South Korean catcher Park Kyung-Oan failed to corral his twisting foul pop up between home and third.

'It was a dogfight. To come back against a good team like Korea was nice,'' said Nilsson.

Park also figured in the eighth-inning drama, hanging on to a throw to the plate from first baseman Kim Ki-Tai to register an out on Grant McDonald despite getting the worst of a terrible collision with the Australian centerfielder.

Park was helped off the field and taken for precautionary X-rays. The next batter up was Reeves, who delivered the winning blow.Craig Anderson pitched 4.1 innings of one-hit relief to register the win.

Cuba's game in Blacktown turned after the controversial call against Luis Ulacia, who shuffled forward in the batter's box before slapping an apparent double into left field.

The home plate umpire, however, called Ulacia out, ruling he hadstepped out of the batter's box before hitting the ball. The call was questioned by Cuban manager Servio Borges and Ulacia was led away by teammates from the lively on-field discussion.

Yobal Duenas, next up for Cuba, had the last word, lining a laser shot over the leftfield fence on the very next delivery from Italian pitcher Michele Toriaco.

Cuba won their opener 16-0 against South Africa.