José Marmolejos leads the Leones’ victory over the Águilas
The Leones del Escogido are going through a sweet moment in the LIDOM season. With an offensive display by José Marmolejos, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs, the national back-to-back champions defeated the Águilas Cibaeñas 6-3 at Estadio Cibao, consolidating their good momentum on the field.
With this result, the scarlet team adds its fourth consecutive victory, raising its record to 5-4. This streak allows them to remain firm in the third position of the table, while the eagles continue in a complicated situation, placing themselves in last place with a 2-6 record.
An iron relay
Although opener Jeremy Rhoades allowed the three runs for the home team, the Leones’ bullpen took care of sealing the door. Reid VanScoter, Kelly Austin, Elvis Peguero, Héctor Neris, and Robinson Martínez combined for an impeccable five innings of scoreless work.
The victory went to Kelly Austin (1-1), while Robinson Martínez earned his third save of the campaign, despite the pressure in the ninth inning.
Match development
The duel was back-and-forth from the very beginning. After a start where the Leones took the lead with a touch from Junior Lake, the Águilas reacted in the third inning with a two-run triple by Steward Berroa. However, the depth of the scarlet lineup made itself felt:
- Fourth inning: Vidal Bruján tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
- Fifth inning: A double by Marmolejos followed by a single by Lake leveled the score.
- Seventh inning: The Leones took definitive control after a ground ball by Sócrates Brito that drove in Erik González.
- Eighth inning: Marmolejos sealed the game with a key hit that brought two more runs to the plate.
Offensive leaders
In addition to Marmolejos’ perfect day, Junior Lake stood out for Escogido, contributing two RBIs, and Erik González, who added two hits. On the Águilas’ side, Steward Berroa and Mason McCoy were the most active, each connecting for three hits, although it was not enough to avoid the defeat.
The Leones del Escogido will look to extend their winning streak this Thursday when they visit the Gigantes del Cibao at the Julián Javier stadium, starting at 7:00 p.m.
