(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
      Ricardo leads Tigres to opening-win in Serie Latinoamericana
Nederlands
 MONTERÍA, Córdoba (Colombia) -
Tigres de Chinandega, the champion of the professional baseball-competition in Nicaragua, opened the fifth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana on Thursday-evening (January 26) with a 5-2 victory against host Leones Comfacor de Montería, the Colombian professional champion.
With this, Netherlands Team-players Yurendell de Caster, Dashenko Ricardo and Curt Smith also began the annual tournament with a win.
Ricardo played a major role, as he batted in three runs and scored once for Tigres, while De Caster accounted for the fifth run with a homerun.
In the afternoon, Panamian champion Panamá Metro won 3-1 against Chileros de Xalapa, the champion of the Mexican Winter League.
Last year, Nicaraguan champion Gigantes de Rivas won the fourth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana, which then was held in Nicaragua.
Back then, Yurendell de Caster played for Gigantes.
During the fourth tournament last year, the hosting for this year was awarded to Xalapa in México, but last month, it gave back the organisation.
Colombia then decided to host the event and the city of Sincelejo was named, the home of Toros Coca-Cola de Sincelejo.
In the Championship Final, Toros played against Leones Comfacor de Montería, which eventually captured the title.
During the Championship Series, Montería's Mayor Marcos Daniel Pineda García proposed that when Leones should win the title, his city was willing to host the Serie Latinoamericana.
That proposal was accepted by the Colombian Professional League (LCBP) and with that, Montería now hosts the event for the second time.
Before the start of the evening game between the champions from Colombia and Nicaragua, the Opening Ceremony took place with dances,music and fireworks.
The event was officially opened with the playing of the National Anthems of the four participating countries.
Hereafter, Montería's Mayor Pineda threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
In its opening-game at Estadio 18 de Junio, Tigres de Chinandega initially faced a 2-0 deficit after one inning.
The Nicaraguan squad got one run back in the second, then rallied for three runs in the third at bat en route to a victory.
...Dashenko Ricardo...
...3 hits, triple, 3 RBI's, run scored...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The Colombian home team took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of a sloppy first inning off of starter Eulogio De La Cruz.
With one out, Charlie Mirabal walked, then advanced to second and third base on two consecutive wild pitches.
Moments later, he scored when a pick-off towards third base ended in a throwing error.
Hereafter, both Manuel Boscán and Andy Vásquez singled.
The latter was forced out on a grounder by Eudy Piña, but that brought Boscán to third base.
He then scored the second run on a passed ball..
That was to be it for Leones, which was held scoreless in the remainder of the game.
In the next five innings, the Colombians got into scoring position two more times off of De La Cruz, both times via another wild pitch.
Tigres left a runner on first base in the first inning off of starter Yesid Salazar, but then got one run back in the next inning.
With two outs, Dashenko Ricardo singled, advanced on a single by Jesús López, then scored on a single by César Díaz.
But the team also stranded two runners.
In the top of the third inning, Dashenko Ricardo struck again for the Nicaraguan champion.
Darrel Campbell led off with a single, then Edgard Montiel was hit by a pitch.
The lead runner was then forced out on third base on a grounder by Curt Smith.
But with runners on first and second base and two outs, the bases got loaded when Osman Marval walked.
Hereafter, Dashenko Ricardo cleared the bases with a 3-run triple to put Tigres ahead 4-2.
It led to a pitching change, but Ricardo had turned the game around in favor of Tigres.
...Yurendell de Caster...
...single, double, homerun...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the fitfh, there was another Dutch contribution in the Nicaraguan victory, as Yurendell de Caster led off with a homerun to make it a 5-2 score.
Hereafter, Ricardo singled with one out and stole second base, but was left behind.
In the seventh, after a pitching change, De Caster led off with a double.
Hereafter, he was eliminated at third base trying to advance on a hit into centerfield by next batter Osman Marval.
That brought Ricardo in the batter's box, but this time, he grounded into a double play.
With a 5-2 lead, Raúl Ruiz took over the pitching for Tigres-starter Eulogio De La Cruz in the seventh inning.
He walked lead-off hitter Juan Díaz, then gave up an one-out single to Diover Avila and was relieved by Jorge Bucardo.
He was more successful, as the inning ended when next batter Charlie Mirabal lined into a double play.
Bucardo retired the side in the eighth, then his brother Wilber Bucardo threw the ninth inning.
He also retired the side and ended the game with a strikeout.
Yurendell de Caster, who was the first baseman for Tigres, was 3-for-5 with a homerun and an RBI and only missed the triple to hit for-the-cycle.
Catcher Dashenko Ricardo also was 3-for-5, scored once, batted in three runs with a triple and stole a base.
Rightfielder Curt Smith was 0-for-5, including three fielder's choice-grounders.
(January 26)
|
