The Dominican squad Tigres del Licey and Venezuelan Navegantes de Magallanes were crowned champions in their respective leagues and won the ticket to represent their countries from next Saturday in the Caribbean Series and face Villa Clara from Cuba and Puerto Ricans Indios de Mayagüez.
The Tigres defeated the Leones del Escogido with score of three runs for two and regained the title it had not won since the 2008-09 season. In this way, they managed to break the tie with the Aguilas del Cibao and again become the team with more titles in the Dominican Republic professional league with 21.
In the victory, besides an RBI single by second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, excelled the work of Cuban pitcher Francisley Bueno, former member of Havana city’s Industriales team. Francisley pitched five innings in which he allowed two runs and emulated until his ousting with U.S. Evan MacLane, in a match that did not allow any of the starters to have a decision.
Other Cubans who make up the team’s roster and contributed in obtaining the championship are Yuniesky Maya, pitcher, and position players Ronnier Mustelier and Felix Perez. All of them must participate in the Caribbean Series representing Licey, so they will meet again with many they haven’t seen since their days in the Cuban national series.
Meanwhile, the Navegantes de Magallanes will represent the host country in Margarita Islands after defeating in five games the Caribes de Anzoátegui, after winning 11 to six yesterday. Now the Navegantes has 12 titles in the Venezuelan Professional league and will try to win its third crown in the Caribbean Series
Now, the Caribbean Series is only lacking the Mexican representative. Yesterday, the Mayos de Navojoa beat Naranjeros de Hermosillo and now they will have to play a seventh game to define the champion and the last team to travel to Venezuela.
For: Gabriel Rodríguez
