(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Municipal repeats as champion of Guatemala
Nederlands
 CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA (Guatemala) -
Municipal-Xpandyl again has captured the Championship-title of the Liga Mayor de Béisbol in Guatemala.
The team swept Huracanes in the best-of-three Final, which ended last Monday (November 28).
This year, the competition was dedicated to Héctor 'Pompo' Menendez Martinez, who passed away in April.
Héctor Menendez was a pioneer in the baseball history of Guatemala.
Baseball was introduced in Guatemala in 1903-1905 by a group of students who studied in the USA.
In the regular season, defending champion Municipal finished in first place with a 23-1 record.
The team from Guatemala City lost its lone game against Huracanes, which finished in second place.
Four teams qualified for the Play-Offs following the regular season, Municipal, Huracanes, Vikingos and USAC.
The latter is a team compiled from students of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, which is the biggest and oldest university of Guatemala and is located in capital Ciudad de Guatemala (Guatemala City).
The university was founded as the Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Carlos Borromeo (Royal and Pontifical University of San Carlos Borromeo) in 1676 by Royal Decree of Spanish King Carlos II (1661-1700) when Guatemala was a Kingdom and a colony of Spain.
It was then the third Royal College founded in Spanish America and it was consecrated by Pope Innocent XI (1611-1689) in 1687.
After Guatemala became an independent country in 1821, it lost its Royal status and was called Pontificia Universidad de San Carlos Borromeo.
It got its current name in 1944.
In the best-of-three Play-Offs, Municipal played against fourth placed Vikingos, while Huracanes met third placed USAC in its Semi-Final.
Municipal opened its Play-Off on Wednesday November 16, while the second Play-Off started the next day.
Between each game in the two Semi-Final was a day off.
All games were played at Diamante de Béisbol Enrique 'Trapo' Torrebiarte in the Guamalan capital.
In the best-of-three Play-Offs, Municipal swept Vikingos.
The team opened with a 4-2 win on Wednesday, November 16.
Two days later, Municipal won 7-5 to become the first finalist.
In a suspensful game, Municipal broke a 5-5 tie in the ninth inning.
Huracanes needed three games against USAC
They opened with an 8-5 victory on Thursday, November 17.
USAC came back two days later and won 6-5.
Again two days later, Huracanes the won 4-1 to become the second finalist.
Winning pitcher Guillermo Valdez struckout 15 batters and gave up only three hits.
In the best-of-five Final, Municipal opened on Thursday (November 24) against Huracanes with a huge 19-1 victory.
The defending champion decided the game early, as it rallied for eight runs in the first inning.
Four more runs were then added in the next at bat.
In the following two innings, Municipal increased its run-total to 19, also due to some errors by the Huracanes-defensive.
Huracanes scored its lone run in the fourth inning.
Due to the mercy-rule, the game lasted only five innings.
Municipal also won the second game of the Championship Final.
On Saturday, the team won 10-0 in seven innings.
Municipal again struck early off of starter Hans Werner, which led to a pitching change.
The scoring then stopped, but Municipal added its tenth run in the seventh inning on a single by Fred Echevarriá.
Winning pitcher Paulo Rossil struckout seven batters and gave up only four hits to Huracanes in 6 1/3 inning.
Arnoldo Chevez then closed the game for Municipal.
Municipal completed its sweep last Monday.
While the team in the end registered another convincing victory, 11-5, it trailed earlier in the game, as Huracanes played much better.
Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, Huracanes scored twice in the second at bat and added a run in the third.
Municipal re-took the lead moments later, but in the fourth, Huracanes again scored two runs to make it 5-4 in its favor.
In the remainder of the game, Huracanes was held scoreless, while Municipal turned the game its way.
In the seventh inning, Municipal decided the game with a 5-run rally that began with a double by Álvaro Paz.
Two defensive errors also contributed in the scoring.
Municipal added two more runs in the eighth inning to lift the lead to 11-5.
(November 30)
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