Aguilas Nears Dominican Title

AGUILAS ONE WIN AWAY FROM DOMINICAN TITLE
League championship series are underway in all three nations sending teams to next month’s Caribbean Series in the Dominican Republic, and one team is a win away from winning a pennant. The Cibaenas Aguilas defeated the Licey Tigres Wednesday night in the Domincan League championships, 7-5, as shortstop Tony Pena capped a five-run sixth inning with a two-run double to put the Aguilas on the brink of their second straight flag. Both Cibaenas and Licey will advance to the Caribbean Series regardless of the outcome of their series because the host county will provide a second team to fill the slot normally taken by the inactive Puerto Rican League.
In other championship series, the Aragua Tigres opened the Venezuelan League title set with a 4-3 win over the Lara Cardenales on Wednesday night. Pirates farmhand Raul Chavez stroked three hits to lead the Tigres, who got a strong 5.2-inning performance from starting pitcher Jose Santiago, who allowed one run while scattering four hits. Meanwhile, the Mazatlan Venados survived the Obregon Yaquis 3-2 in 12 innings Wednesday to knot up their Mexican Pacific League championship series at one game apiece. Christian Quintero homered with one out in the top of the 12th for his first round-tripper since November 25. Quintero entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh frame.
BOER REPEATS AS NICARAGUAN LEAGUE CHAMPION
The Boer Indios defeated the San Fernando Fieras 6-0 in front of more than 8,000 fans in Roberto Clemente Stadium to cop their second straight Nicaraguan League championship. Boer won the best-of-seven series, 4 games to 2.
Dominican starting pitcher Rafael Garcia spun 7.2 dazzling innings for the Indios to win the clincher, while a three-run double by Marlon Abea was the key hit for Boer. The series was tied at two games apiece before the Indios crushed San Fernando 19-3 last Sunday. Boer will now take on the Colombian League champion Barranquilla Caymans in a three game series in Barranquilla. The Caymans swept the Cartagena Indios in four games for the Colombian title. Last winter, the same two teams played a three-game set in Nicaragua, with Baranquilla winning that series, 2 games to 1.
TIGHT BATTLE DEVELOPING IN CUBAN LEAGUE GROUP C
The Cuban National Series season is into its second month, and two Group C teams are engaging in a hot battle for divisional supremacy.
Defending champion Santiago de Cuba has opened a nine-game gap over Holquin in Group D with a league-best 30-9 record, while 21-18 Pinar del Rio is six games up on Metropolitanos in Group A (which is easily the weakest division in Cuba this season with three of the four teams posting sub-.400 records thus far). Things are a little tighter in Group B, with 29-10 Havana holding a three-game advantage over traditional rival Industriales, who are 26-13; but there’s a real battle going on in Group C, where just one game separates 23-16 Las Tunas and 22-17 Ciego de Avila.
Six batters are hitting .400 or better, with Sancti Spiritus’ Yunier Mendoza’s .430 average leading the way. Among Cuban pitchers, Holquin’s Luis Rodriguez has the lowest ERA at 1.65.

(Courtesy of World Baseball Today)

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