Leones del Escogido close to the final after defeating Gigantes del Cibao
SAN FRANCISCO DE MACORÍS – The Leones del Escogido are approaching the Final Series of the 2025-26 LIDOM tournament, after obtaining a resounding 5-1 victory over the Gigantes del Cibao this Wednesday, adding their eleventh win in the Round Robin.
With this result, the Scarlet team consolidates its record at 11-4 and could secure their spot in the final with one more victory on Thursday against the Toros del Este in La Romana, or if the losing team of the match between Águilas and Toros in Santiago loses again.
The game was dominated by the Lions from the first inning, where they scored four runs against starting pitcher Daniel Mengden. Alcides Escobar opened the scoring with a solo home run to left field. Subsequently, with two outs and the bases loaded, José Marmolejos hit a single to left field which, added to an error in the outfielder Leury García’s throw, allowed the three runners to score.
The capitalinos’ fifth run came in the fifth inning. Erik González started with a double to left field, advanced with a ground ball by Sócrates Brito and scored after a hit by Troy Lake through the third base that turned into an error by third baseman Marco Hernández.
The Giants’ only score came in the sixth inning, when José Sirí hit a solo home run against reliever Héctor Neris, between left and center field.
José Urquidy, the starting pitcher for the Escogido, was key by pitching five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, without giving up walks and with four strikeouts, earning the victory (1-2). The red bullpen maintained control of the game with effective relief from Jefry Yan, Hansel Marcelino —who struck out two— and Stephen Nogosek. The loss went to Mengden (0-2), who gave up four runs in the first inning.
On the offensive side for the Leones, Marmolejos hit 1-4 with two RBIs; Escobar went 1-5 with a home run, one RBI and one run scored; Erik González went 1-3 with a double, one run scored and a walk, and Lake hit 1-4 with one run scored.
For the Giants, José Sirí finished 3-1 with a home run, one RBI and one run scored, while Marco Hernández went 1-3.
