Leones del Escogido Defeat Toros del Este in an Exciting Duel
In an epic encounter that spanned eleven innings, the Leones del Escogido achieved a crucial 8-7 victory over the Toros del Este this Sunday. The match, played at the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium, solidifies the melenudos at the top of the Todos contra Todos of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM).
The victory, which lasted for more than four hours, puts the current national and Caribbean champions with a 2-0 record. On the other hand, the Toros del Este descend to 1-1, occupying the second position in the table.
The outcome of the game came in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Junior Lake, who started the inning on second base as a ghost runner, scored the decisive run after an error in pitcher Janser Lara’s throw. This error occurred after a sacrifice bunt by Erik González on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Alexander Colomé (1-0) earned the victory, retiring the batters in order in the top of the eleventh inning, including a strikeout. Janser Lara (0-1) took the loss.Game Development
The Toros took the lead in the first inning, thanks to a double by Luis Liberato to left field and a run-scoring single by Bryan De la Cruz, against starting pitcher José Urquidy.
In the second episode, the Romanenses extended their lead with consecutive doubles by Bryan Lavastida and Sergio Alcántara, followed by a hit by Gilberto Celestino, setting the score at 3-0. However, the Escogido responded in the bottom with two runs, driven by doubles from Raimel Tapia and José Marmolejos, in addition to a productive single by Michael De la Cruz.
The Bulls pulled away again with two runs in the third inning, but the reds staged a four-run rally in the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead. In that inning, Erik González drove in two runs with a double to left field, while Tapia added two more with a single after a walk to Yamaico Navarro and a stolen base.
The Bulls’ reaction came in the seventh inning, tying the game 6-6 taking advantage of a passed ball with Jeimer Candelario on third base. Subsequently, both teams scored once more, taking the game to extra innings.For the Escogido, Raimel Tapia stood out with a 5-3 performance, including two doubles, two RBIs, and one run scored. José Marmolejos also had an outstanding performance, batting 5-3 with a double, two RBIs, and one run scored. Erik González went 5-1, with a double, two RBIs, and one run scored, while Michael De la Cruz went 3-2, with one RBI, one run scored, and two walks.
In the Toros team, Troy Johnston went 2-for-5, with a double, two RBIs, and a walk. Luis Liberato finished 2-for-6, with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.Next Commitment
The Leones del Escogido will continue their participation in the Round Robin this Monday, when they visit the Gigantes del Cibao at the Julián Javier Stadium, in San Francisco de Macorís, starting at 7:15 PM.
