Cuba scored three runs in the second inning, and hung on for a 3-2 win over Canada.
Canada is the reigning Pan Am Games champions, having won gold in 2015. The Canadians also won the world championship two years ago.
In July, Canada won the bronze medal at the world championship in Whitehorse, Yukon.
The Canadian team in the Dominican Republic featured five Newfoundlanders — Jason Hill of St. John’s, Kyle Ezekiel of Holyrood and Jeremy O’Reilly of Placentia, and assistant coaches John Hill of St. John’s and Les Howey of C.B.S.
A number of veterans didn’t make the trip to the Dominican due to a busy summer and work commitments.
Among them were Newfoundland national team members Stephen Mullaley of Freshwater, Ryan and Shane Boland of St. John's, Sean Cleary of Harbour Main, Brad Ezekiel (Kyle's brother) of Holyrood and Colin Walsh of Petty Harbour.
