(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by LBPN)
 Roger Bernadina & Jiandido Tromp win Nicaraguan title with Leones
Nederlands
 MANAGUA (Nicaragua) -
Leones de León is the new champion of the professional league in Nicaragua.
On Sunday (January 30), the team of Netherlands Team-players Roger Bernadina and Jiandido Tromp won 4-2 in the seventh and deciding game of the Championship Final of the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional (LBPN).
The seventh game was played in Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez in capital Managua in front of 16.000 spectators.
A week ago, 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 both Bernadina and Tromp, who will play in the Dutch big league this season for Curaçao Neptunus.
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.
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.
On Sunday, Leones opened the score with two runs in the top of the second inning, but Gigantes immediately came alongside.
Moments later, in the third, Leones again scored twice and from that moment, the team hold onto the lead in the remainder of the game.
In the second inning, Adrián Moreno and Dwight Britton led off for Leones with a walk.
The two moved on a sacrifice bunt by Juan Carlos Torres, then both scored when Leonordo Ortiz followed with a double.
Ortiz himself was eliminated when he tried to stretch his hit into a triple.
In the bottom of the second inning, Gigantes answered with two runs of its own.
Jesus Valdez and Garabez Rosa opened the at bat with back-to-back doubles, which resulted in the first run.
Hereafter, Edgard Montiel walked.
Gigantes then got runners on second and third base thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Wuillians Vasquez.
To set up a force play, the bases were loaded via an intentional walk for Elmer Reyes.
Next, Rosa scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Luis Alen.
Pitcher Dilmer Mejia then closed with a strikeout, but the score was 2-2.
...Leones de León celebrates the title...
(© Photo: LBPN) |
Leones immediately re-took the lead in the top of the third inning.
Gigantes-starter Ronald Medrano walked lead-off hitter Jiandido Tromp, then gave up a single to Alay Lago.
Hereafter, Medrano was relieved by Emailin Montilla, who got the bases loaded when no out was made on a fielder's choice-grounder by Roger Bernadina.
Montilla followed with a strikeout, but then hit next batter Adrián Moreno with a pitch and that gave Leones a 3-2 lead.
A sacrifice fly by Dwight Britton then made it a 4-2 score.
In the remainder of the game, there were not much scoring opportunities.
Gigantes got only one more runner in scoring position off of the Leones-pitching.
That was in the fourth inning off of starter Dilmer Mejia, who dominated and gave up only three basehits in the seven innings he pitched, striking out eight batters.
Afterwards, Mejia was named Most Valuable Player of the Final Series.
Leones got more baserunners, but the Gigantes-defense turned four double plays.
In the top of the seventh inning, Leones failed to take some more distance and left three runners behind.
In the bottom of the ninth, Leones-closer Junior Téllez retired the side to seal the win and earn his third save.
In the best-of-seven, Roger Bernadina batted .207 (6-for-29) with two doubles.
He scored twice and batted in five runs.
Jiandido Tromp batted .321 (9-for-28) with no extra-basehits.
Tromp scored six runs and batted in three.
He walked seven times.
Both were hitless in the seventh game.
In the weeks leading up to the start of the new season in November, it appeared that Leones de León might not enter a team, due to financial problems.
But eventually, the financial problems were solved and the club was able to compile a team.
And now, Leones is the new professional champion of Nicagarua!
This is the third title for Leones in the last four seasons.
Each time, the team was led by Manager Sandro Guido.
Overall, this is the seventh title for Leones.
Only Indios del Bóer has more titles with eight.
(January 30)
Related Articles:
 Leones forces 7th game in Nicaraguan Final after marathon-win. (January 29)
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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