SPAIN – Richard Montiel smacked three home runs and Marlins Puerto Cruz pounded Pamplona 16-1 and 12-2 on Saturday to remain unbeaten in the Spanish League. The four-time defending champion improved to 6-0 while Pamplona’s record dropped to 1-5.

Montiel, who led the league with eight homers a year ago, put the Marlins on top in the opening frame with his first long ball of the season – a three-run shot – to staightaway center field. The Tenerife-based club stretched the lead to 5-0 with two scores in the second before blowing the game wide open with a five-run outburst two innings later.

The Marlins sent 10 hitters to the plate in the fourth and parlayed three hits, two walks, a hit by pitch, and an error into five scores to take a commanding 9-0 lead. Daniel Sanchez added a two-run double in the fifth, and Marco Gonzalez’ three-run double highlighted a four-run sixth to clinch the runaway victory.

SPANISH LEAGUE

Montiel and Gonzalez each collected four RBIs for the Marlins, while Sanchez drove home three runs. Shortstop Nestor Perez, who is also the head coach, went 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored.

Leslie Nacar (3-0), who struck out 10, allowed a run on three hits to pick up his third win of the year.

The second half of the twin bill was another lopsided affair as Montiel uncorked a pair of homers to spell defeat for the Pamplona nine.

The top power hitter in the Spanish League, Montiel swatted a full count pitch over the fence in center field for a two-run homer in the fourth to pad the Marlins lead to 9-0. Two innings later, the hard-hitting first baseman cracked a 1-0 pitch off reliever Eneko Del Burgo for a solo blast.

Sanchez led the offensive onslaught with three extra-base hits – a triple and two doubles – and a pair of RBIs. Montiel reached base four times and drove in three runs, while Perez also had two doubles in a 3-for-3 effort at the plate.

Audie Nunez (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win of the season. Pamplona starter Daniel Celaya (0-1) surrendered nine hits and eight runs in a rough outing.

SANT BOI SALVAGES SPLIT WITH VIGO HALCONES

Sant Boi rebounded from a 1-0 loss on Saturday with a lopsided 16-5 victory the following day to earn the weekend split against the surprising Vigo Halcones. Sant Boi improved to 5-1 on the season while newcomer Vigo sports a 4-2 card.

Jose Antonio Acevedo’s RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the game-winner for the Halcones in a low-scoring weekend opening matchup. Ronny Malave (2-1) scattered five hits and two walks in a complete game shutout to knock Sant Boi fom the unbeaten ranks. Oscar Alvaez (2-1) suffered the setback despite a solid eight-inning outing with seven strikeouts.

Javier Flores and Marc Carrillo both homered, and Sant Boi broke open a tight game with 10 runs down the stretch to rout Vigo in the weekend finale. Flores went 3-for-5 with three RBIs while Carrillo drove in five runs on three hits. Vigo second baseman Michel San Gil was 2-for-3 with his second home run of the year and three RBIs. Jose E. Cruz (3-0) remained perfect while Yaeko Vazquez recorded his first save. Halcones starter Juan J. Lopez (1-1) was charged with the loss.

FC BARCELONA BLANKS EL LLANO

Homer Baez and Jason Friedman combined on a two-hit shutout to lead FC Barcelona past El Llano, 5-0, on Saturday. However,
the second game of the doubleheader was halted by rain in the second inning.

Baez (3-0) tossed seven innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and five walks. Friedman registered the final six outs to help FC Barcelona improve to 5-0. Juan J. Samboy (0-1) was tagged with the loss for El Llano which season record fell to 2-3.

Outfielers Jehan Machado and Felix Isasi paced Fc Barcelona’s 15-hit attack. Machado went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs while Isasi drove in a pair of runs with three hits. Emmanuel Febles and Pau Sancho combined to score four runs for last year’s Spanish League runner-ups.

VILADECANS ROUT WINLESS ASTROS

Viladecans scored five runs in the second, and four more scores in the fourth, to dispose of the Valencia Astros 12-2 on Saturday. The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled because of bad weather.

Oscar Angulo went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs while Miguel Catalan added four RBIs on two hits. Astros leadoff hitter Alberto Ortia turned in a 3-for-4 effort at the plate.

Delio Martinez (1-0) struck out seven over five solid innings to earn the win. Astros starter Elvis Polanco (0-1) allowed 11 hits and 12 runs in a complete game setback.

Viladecans improved to 3-2 while the Astros (0-6) suffered their sixth consecutive loss.

SAN INAZIO BILBAO SWEEPS BASEBALL NAVARRA

San Inazio Bilbao registered its first two victories of the season with a sweep over Baseball Navarra last weekend. San Inazio improved to 2-4 while the slumping Navarra squad remained winless at 0-6.

Fidel Mane (1-0) allowed three hits and fanned seven in eight scoreless innings to gain his first win of the season. Reliever Willy Guedez recorded the final three outs to preserve the 6-0 win.

Kelvin Marianucci and Rene Reyes each had two hits apiece for San Inazio. Marianucci had a triple and an RBI, and Reyes added a double an drove in three runs.

San Inazio erupted for 18 hits in a 11-1 win in the second game to complete the doubleheader sweep. Franklin Tua led the offensive barrage with four hits and two RBIs, while Reyes knocked in three scores.

Alberto Magallon (1-1) picked up the win while Diego Perez (0-2) suffered his second setback of the year.

Photo by Ralph Piva

Tags: Spain