SAN FRANCISCO DE MACORÍS – Los Toros del Este demonstrated their offensive power by defeating the Gigantes del Cibao with a score of 10-3 in an exciting match held at the Julián Javier stadium.
The Toros’ offense was led by Gilberto Celestino and Iván Castillo, who connected for a total of 13 hits.
Celestino and Castillo, key in the victory
Gilberto Celestino, center fielder and candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, had an outstanding performance by connecting three hits, including two doubles, and driving in three runs. For his part, Iván Castillo had a perfect night by batting 3-3, with two doubles, a walk, three runs scored and four RBIs.
Yairo Muñoz also contributed with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI, establishing himself as the leader in doubles in the tournament.
Mastery in the Field
With this victory, the Bulls achieved their third consecutive win, improving their record to 23-17 and securing their position in second place, getting closer to qualifying for the postseason. The Giants, on the other hand, suffered their fourth consecutive loss, remaining with a record of 17-23, although they still hold the fourth qualifying spot.
The Toros’ pitching was fundamental, limiting the Gigantes to hitting 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 men on base.
George Soriano (1-0) took the win, pitching 1.1 innings without allowing runs, while Shane Greene (1-2) took the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) in 1.2 innings.
The game development
The Bulls took the lead in the second inning with a four-run rally. Jeimer Candelario received a walk and scored thanks to a double by Yairo Muñoz, who then scored on a single by Ronaldo Hernández. Consecutive doubles by Iván Castillo and Gilberto Celestino extended the lead to 4-0.
In the fifth inning, doubles by Celestino and Bryan De La Cruz extended the lead to 6-0. In the sixth, Hernández led off with a double and scored on a hit by Castillo. The Giants responded in the sixth with three runs, driven in by a double from Nomar Mazara, a fielder’s choice by Deyvison De los Santos, and an RBI single by Gary Sánchez.
The Toros sealed the game in the eighth with three additional runs: Ronaldo Hernández drove in one, Iván Castillo hit a run-scoring double, and Gilberto Celestino closed the account with a single to center field.
On the offensive side for the Toros, Celestino stood out with a 5-3, including two doubles and three RBIs; Castillo hit 3-3, with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs; Muñoz, 4-2, with two doubles; Hernández, 5-2, with a double and three runs scored; and De La Cruz, 5-2, with one RBI. For the Gigantes, Gary Sánchez hit 3-2 with one RBI and Nomar Mazara, 4-1 with one run scored and one RBI.
The Toros return this Saturday to La Romana to face the Tigres del Licey at 7:30 pm at the Francisco A. Micheli stadium.
