(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
   Roger Bernadina, Kevin Kelly and Shairon Martis open new season in Nicaragua
Nederlands
     CHINANDEGA / ESTELÍ / LEÓN / MANAGUA / RIVAS (Nicaragua) -
Dutch pitchers Kevin Kelly and Shairon Martis and outfielder Roger Bernadina have their first games in the books of the new winter-season in Nicaragua.
The 19th edition of the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional (LPBN) opened on November 4.
The first professional season in Nicaragua was played in 1956, but the league ended in 1967.
The league was re-established in 2004.
The 2008-2009 season was not completed.
So far, Roger Benadina has played in 12 games for Leones de León, all as centerfielder.
He is currently hitting .244 (11-for-45) with two doubles and twelve walks.
Bernadina scored three runs and scored six.
Shairon Martis is a teammate of Bernadina at Leones.
He pitched in two games (both starts) and is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
In eight innings, the righthander struckout two, walked four and gave up ten basehits and nine runs (only three earned).
Martis made his first appearance on November 11 when he was the starter for Leones in a 9-4 loss against Tren del Norte.
He then was the winning pitcher six days later in a 10-0 shutout against Indios del Bóer.
At one moment, Martis threw in this game against Kevin Kelly, who plays for Indios.
Martis threw the first six innings.
Kelly came on in relief in the first inning and threw 3 2/3 inning.
Bernadina was 1-for-3 in this game for Leones.
The game was highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Leandro Castro in the first inning.
Kelly struckout Bernadina in the second.
Kevin Kelly has pitched in six games for Indios del Bóer, all in relief.
The righthander struckout eight batters in 9 2/3 inning, giving up eleven (earned) runs and sixteen basehits.
Kelly is 0-0 with no saves and a 10.24 ERA.
After Tuesday's games, Gigantes de Rivas leads the league with an 8-4 record.
Leones is in second place with a 6-6 record, followed by Indios (6-7).
Tigres de Chinandega (5-6) and Tren del Norte (4-6) are in fourth and fifth place.
This year, Bernadina, Martis and Kelly were teammates at Curaçao Neptunus in the Dutch big league.
A month ago, Neptunus lost in the Holland Series against Amsterdam Pirates, which captured the title in seven games.
During the transfer-period after completion of the season, only Martis stayed with the Rotterdam-team for the 2024 season.
Kelly then will play for San Marino in the highest Italian league.
Bernadina also left, but at the moment, it is not known where he will play next year.
All three also played for the Netherlands Team this year, which was a disappointing season for the Orange-squad.
In March, the team was eliminated in the First Round of the World Baseball Classic.
And in September, the Netherlands had to settle for bronze in the European Championship.
Bernadina is playing in his fourth season for Leones de León.
Last season, four other Dutch players were active in Nicaragua.
Outfielders Jiandido Tromp and Denzel Richardson also played for Leones, while pitcher Juan Carlos Sulbaran and outfielder Ademar Rifaela played for Indios del Bóer.
For the Championship Final, Benadina was added to the team of Tigres de Chinandega.
Sulbaran and Rifaela won the title with Indios.
(November 22)
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