(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Leones forces 7th game in Nicaraguan Final after marathon-win
Nederlands
  RIVAS / LEÓN (Nicaragua) -
The Championship Final of the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional (LBPN) in Nicaragua is going the distance, as a seventh and deciding game will be needed.
That game will be played on Sunday-afternoon (January 30) on neutral site in capital Managua.
Last weekend, reigning champion Gigantes de Rivas won the first two games, 5-1 and 4-2.
Thereafter, Leones de León won the next two games thanks to major contributions by Netherlands Team-players Roger Bernadina and Jiandido Tromp, who will play in the Dutch big league this season for Curaçao Neptunus.
Bernadina again underscored his importance in the win in Game 6.
On Friday, Leones took an early 2-0 lead in Game 5, but Gigantes turned the game around and won 7-2, thanks to two rallies.
Gigantes scored four runs in the third when Jesus Valdez hit a grand slam homerun, then the team added three in the seventh inning.
On Saturday, Gigantes appeared to be en route to the title by taking an early lead, as the team led 4-0 after three innings.
But in the end, Leones won 8-7 in 13 innings in a game that lasted five hours and 29 minutes to force the seventh game.
Again, Bernadina and Tromp made big contributions.
Gigantes opened the score in the first inning on a 2-out homerun by Cheslor Cuthbert, then added a run in the second and two more in the third.
Gigantes was still leading 4-0 halfway the sixth, but Leones then came back by scoring three runs.
Adrian Moreno doubled in two runs, then Leonardo Ortiz added a runscoring single.
In the top of the seventh, Gigantes took some more distance by scoring another run on a single by Garabez Rosa.
Leones then struck with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
And Roger Bernadina played an important part.
New pitcher Osman Gutierrez saw lead-off hitter Juan Carlos Torres reach on an error.
With one out, Gutierrez walked Vladimi Frias and Jiandido Tromp.
After Alay Lago had flied out, it was Bernadina who drove the ball into deep centerfield for a baseclearing, 3-run double.
Bernadina himself was eliminated after over-running second base, but Leones had taken a 6-5 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Gigantes came alongside, but failed to re-take the lead.
Jesus Valdez batted in the tying run with a triple with one out.
After an intentional walk, Valdez tried to score on a comeback grounder by Isaac Benard, but was eliminated at the plate.
The bases then got loaded when Wuillians Vasquez walked and a pitching change followed.
A force play-grounder ended the at bat and Gigantes left three runners behind.
Both team scored once in the tenth inning.
Gigantes scored on a sacrifice fly by Cheslor Cuthbert to take a 7-6 lead.
With one out in the bottom of the tenth and two runners on base, Jiandido Tromp drove the ball into deep centerfield for Leones.
There, the ball was caught, but the tying run was scored on what now became a sacrifice fly.
After a walk, it was Roger Bernadina who hit the ball into leftfield, but that also was caught.
And so, the game continued.
In the bottom of the eleventh inning, some risky decisions were taken by the Gigantes-coaching by issuing two intentional walks.
Of course, these were tactical decisions and created a force play.
After Willy García had led off with a single and moved into second base via a sacrifice bunt, Darrel Campbell was walked intentionally.
The two runners were awarded the next base on a balk-call and with first base open again, Enmanuel Meza was also walked intentionally to set up a force play.
The force play didn't come, but reliever José Acosta had a strong closing, as he struckout the next two batters.
And so, this time, Leones stranded three runners.
Gigantes was retired in order in the 12th, then Leones got another chance to end the game.
After Tromp had grounded out, Alay Lago hit a triple, then both Bernadina and García were walked intentionally.
With that, the Gigantes-coaching again took some risks by loading the bases.
Again, Leones left three runners behind, as a flyout and strikeout ended the at bat.
In the top of the 13th inning, Gigantes came close to scoring.
Lead-off hitter Cheslor Cuthbert reached on an error, then Jesus Valdez singled, which resulted in runners on second and third base.
After a pitching change and a strikeout, Isaac Benard was walked intentionally.
The Leones-pitching then did get the force play-grounder, as Wuillians Vasquez grounded into an inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the 13th, Leones got the bases loaded for the third time in a row.
And this time, the team was able to score.
Enmanuel Meza led off with a walk, then his pinch-runner Mark Joseph moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Jacksell Mairena.
After Vladimir Frias was walked intentionally, Jiandido Tromp received a normal walk.
That brought Cuban Alay Lago in the batter's box and he connected for a walk-of single, as that enabled Joseph to score the winning run.
In this game, Bernadina was 2-for-5 with three runs batted in, while Tromp was 1-for-5 with one RBI.
Both scored once.
(January 29)
Related Articles:
 Bernadina & Tromp again productive in 2nd win for Leones in Nicaragua. (January 26)
Bernadina & Tromp account for 1st win Leones in Nicaraguan Final. (January 25)
Roger Bernadina & Jiandido Tromp trail with Leones in Nicaraguan Final. (January 23)
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