CHINA – Beating a champion is never easy. Beating Cuba is even tougher.

Canada hit and pitched better than the reigning Olympic champions on Thursday night but still came up short in a 7-6 loss to the Cubans in front of 1,150 spectators at the Wukesong Baseball Field.

Cuba’s star-studded lineup was limited to just five hits by Canada but a pair of two-run shots by Alexander Malleta and Alfredo Despaigne in a decisive four-run sixth inning proved too much for Coach Terry Puhl’s squad.

Canada, which also fell to Cuba 8-5 at the 2004 Athens Games, got a big-time effort at the plate from leftfielder Nick Weglarz who went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Michael Saunders also went deep swatting a two-run drive in the third.

The Cubans tagged starter Brooks McNiven with three runs in the second before Saunders pulled Canada within a run with a shot off left-hander Adiel Palma. Weglarz knotted the score with a solo homer the next inning and put Canada on top 5-3 with a two-run blast in the sixth. But then Cuba lit some fireworks of their own.

First, Malleta jacked a Jonathan Lockwood fastball to tie the game at 5-all before Despaigne, one of this tiny caribbean island brightest young stars, smacked a pitch from former Major Leaguer Chris Reitsma for another two-run homer to give Cuba the lead for good.

Canada added a run in the eighth before Cuban reliever Norberto Gonzalez slammed the door shut on any comeback hopes with a perfect 1 2/3 innings and three strikeouts to record the save and make a winner of middle reliever Vicyohandry Odelin (1-0). Lockwood (0-1) was pinned the loss after giving up three runs.

Team USA (1-1) is next on the slate for Cuba (2-0) on Friday will Canada (1-1) will meet South Korea (1-0).

In other preliminary-round action, Japan topped Chinese Taipei 6-1 for its first win, while Team USA blanked the Netherlands 7-0. The game between South Korea and China was postponed due to rain.

Tags: Canada, Cuba