(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Curt Smith and Tigres reach Nicaraguan Final
Nederlands
 MANAGUA (Nicaragua) -
Tigres de Chinandega won big with an 11-1 score against Indios del Bóer on Thursday-evening (January 11) in Game 4 of the best-of-five Semi-Final of the professional Nicaraguan league.
With that, Tigres won the Play-Off 3-1 to become the second finalist to play for the Championship-title, which it reached for the seventh time.
Tigres opened the Play-Off on Sunday with an 8-2 victory, then Indios won the second game on Monday with a 3-2 score in eleven innings.
Tigres retook the lead by winning 3-2 in the third game on Wednesday.
In the Championship Final, Tigres, which is the reigning champion, faces Gigantes de Rivas, which automatically qualified by finishing in first place in the regular season.
The best-of-seven Final opens on Sunday in Rivas.
...Curt Smith will play again in...
...the Nicaragua Final with Tigres...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Netherlands Team-player Curt Smith was 0-for-3, but he also walked twice, scored a run and batted in a run with a sacrifice fly.
In the beautiful new Estadio Dennis Martínez in the Nicaraguan capital Managua, Tigres collected 14 basehits, including three by Yosmany Guerra and Jesús López.
The latter also batted in three runs.
Jamar Walton recorded two doubles and also batted in three runs.
Iván Hernández had three of Bóer's seven basehits.
Tigres led only 2-1 after five innings, but then staged two big rallies.
The team from Chinandega opened the score with two runs in the top of the third inning, then Indios got one run back in the fourth.
In the top of the sixth, Tigres rallied for four runs, then added five more in the eighth at bat to take a commanding lead.
The two teams realized a new defensive record in the game by turning a total of nine double plays.
Bóer made five double plays, which tied the record for most in one game.
Tigres opened the score in the third inning.
With one out, Leonardo Ortiz doubled.
He moved to third base when next hitter Norlando Valle singled and was able to score when an outfield-error followed.
Valle later scored on a single by Jamar Walton.
In the fourth inning, Curt Smith led off with a walk, but then was eliminated in a double play.
In the bottom of the fourth, Bóer narrowed the deficit to 2-1.
Lead-off hitter Jilton Calderón was hit by a pitch and next hitter Renato Morales walked.
After a pitching change, a bunt-attempt ended in a double play.
Hereafter, Iván Hernández doubled to bring in Bóer's lone run in the game.
Tigres then rallied for four runs in the sixth at bat.
Osman Marval led off with a double and Curt Smith received his second walk in the game.
A walk for Edgard Montiel loaded the bases.
Moments later, Marval and Smith both scored on a single by Jesús López to make it a 4-1 score.
After a pitching change, Montiel and López both went on to score on errors.
Tigres scored five more runs in the eighth inning.
With the bases loaded, Jamar Walton connected for a 2-run double.
After a pitching change, Curt Smith added a sacrifice fly.
A walk then loaded the bases again, then Jesús López and Leonardo Ortiz contributed with runscoring singles to lift the lead to 11-1.
(January 11)
Related Articles:
 Tigres retakes lead in Nicaraguan Play-Off. (Jan. 10)
Smith homers, but Tigres lose in Nicaraguan Play-Off. (Jan. 8)
Curt Smith leads Tigres to win in Play-Off opener. (Jan. 7)
Gigantes in Nicaraguan Final. (Jan. 5)
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