(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
    Dutch players help Tigres win Nicaraguan title
Nederlands
 CHINANDEGA (Nicaragua) -
Playing at home, Tigres de Chinandega won 5-3 vs. Gigantes de Rivas on Wednesday-evening (January 18) in Game 5 of the best-of-seven Championship Final of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional.
With that, the team captured the Nicaraguan Championship-title and dethroned Gigantes.
Tigres had won the first two games, winning 9-6 in Friday and 6-5 in Saturday.
Reigning champion Gigantes then won 6-5 on Sunday to avoid a sweep.
Hereafter, Tigres took a 3-1 lead in the Series by winning 3-1 on Tuesday.
This is the third Championship-title for Tigres, which earliier won in 2005-2006 and then in 2012-2013.
In its second Championship-season four years ago, Yurendell de Caster also played for Tigres.
He then won the Triple Crown, leading the regular season in hitting (.416), homeruns (13) and runs batted in (56) and was named Most Valuable Player.
Last year, De Caster won the Championship-title with Gigantes.
As champion of Nicaragua, Tigres de Chinandega now will travel to Colombia next week to participate in the fifth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana.
There, Tigres will be joined by the champions of the professional competitions in Colombia, México and Panamá.
The event opens on January 26.
Tigres wat outhit 10-6, but Netherlands Baseball Team-players Yurendell de Caster, Dashenko Ricardo and Curt Smith accounted for an important contribution for the home team in tonight's game.
The three reached base nine times, combined on three basehits, including two homeruns, scored three runs and batted in four.
At Estadio Efraín Tijerino Mazariego in Chinandega, Gigantes treatened to open the score in the top of the first inning.
The reigning champion got the bases loaded off of starter Marcos Frías, but stranded the three runners.
Darrel Campbell led off with a single, then Wuillians Vásquez singled with one out.
The bases got loaded when Reginald Abercrombie reached on an infield-hit with two outs.
But hereafter, the inning ended when Frías struckout Elmer Reyes.
After Tigres was retired in order in its first at bat by José Rosario, Gigantes reached base again in the second.
Lead-off hitter Anderson Feliz reached on an error, but then was eliminated in a rundown after a pick-off by Frías.
Luis Allen then followed with a single, but was left behind on first base.
...Yurendell de Caster...
...2 hits, homerun, run, RBI,...
...4x on base, hit by pitch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Tigres then opened the score in the bottom of the second inning.
Curt Smith led off with a walk, then Yurendell de Caster singled.
With one out, a force play-grounder by Dashenko Ricardo ended in an error.
That not only loaded the bases, it also created the unique situation in which all three Netherlands Team-players were now standing on the bases.
Hereafter, Ricardo was forced out at second base on a grounder by Jimmy González, but that enabled Smith to score the first run.
The bases were re-loaded when next batter Jesús López walked.
But three runners left behind when José Rosario closed with a strikeout for Ismael Munguía.
Gigantes came alongside in the top of the fourth inning.
With one out, Anderson Feliz drove the ball into centerfield.
The ball went over the fence, but then hit the steal construction of the outfield-stands and jumped back into the field, causing some confusion.
However, both the 2B Umpire and Rightfield Umpire signaled that the ball had left the field and with that, it was a homerun that made it an 1-1 score.
The tie didn't stand long, as Tigres re-took the lead in the bottom of the fourth and again, the Dutch players were involved.
Yurendell de Caster led off and hit a high pop-fly between near the line between third and the plate.
Third baseman Elmer Reyes appeared to make the catch, but then stepped aside to make room for catcher Luis Allen, who then dropped the ball.
A costly error, as De Caster advanced to third base on a single by Osman Marval and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dashenko Ricardo to put Tigres ahead, 2-1.
Tigres took more distance in the bottom of the fifth inning.
And yes, again, it were the Dutch players that accounted for the runs, as they connected for back-to-back homeruns!
With one out, Everth Cabrera singled.
With two outs, Curt Smith drove the ball into centerfield, where it hit the top of the fence and jumped back.
The Colombian Home Plate Umpire immediately gave the homerun-signal and so, two runs were added.
But it also resulted in a discussion between German Mesa, the Cuban Manager of Gigantes, and both the Home Plate and 2B Umpire.
Hereafter, the 6-man umpiring crew got together, briefly discussed the situation, but the call was not changed.
Moments later, Yurendell de Caster also connected well and this time, there was no doubt, as the ball he hit ended up between the spectators behind the centerfield-fence.
His homerun lifted the lead to 5-1.
...Curt Smith...
...homerun, 2 runs, 2 RBI's,...
...2x on base, walk... |
...Dashenko Ricardo...
...3x on base, RBI, walk,...
...hit by pitch, stolen base... |
| (© Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Gigantes got one run back in the top of the sixth.
With one out, Reginald Abercrombie and Elmer Reyes singled, which led to a pitching change.
Samuel Gervacio took over for starter Marcos Frías and got a force play-grounder from Anderson Feliz.
Reyes was eliminated, but Abercrombie advanced to third base.
He then scored on a single by Luis Allen.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dashenko Ricardo led off for Tigres with a walk.
He stole second base, then moved on a grounder, but stranded on third base.
In the top of the seventh, Gigantes got back into the game.
With two outs, Wuillians Vásquez hit a homerun into deep centerfield to make it a 5-3 score.
In the regular season, the Venezuelan led the league in homeruns, won the Triple Crown and was named Most Valuable Player.
Hereafter, Jorge Bucardo took over the pitching for Samuel Gervacio and closed the inning.
In its seventh at bat, Tigres got into scoring position again, but didn't score.
With one out, Edgard Montiel reached on an error, then appeared to be caught stealing at second base, but was safe after another error.
With two outs, Yurendell de Caster was hit by a pitch.
But, after the a pitching change, the two were left behind.
In the bottom of the eighth, it was Dashenko Ricardo, who was hit by a pitch as lead-off hitter.
He moved on a sacrifice bunt, but stranded on second base.
Closer Wilder Bucardo took the mound for Tigres in the top of the ninth inning.
He retired the side to secure the small lead.
And with that, Tigres won the championship-title!
Moments after the final out was made, hundreds of enthousiactic spectators entered the field to celebrate the title with their players.
(January 18)
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