SPAIN – Sant Boi continued their winning ways in the Spanish League last weekend with a sweep over Pamplona to move into sole possession of third place. The league’s two front-runners, Marlins Puerto Cruz and FC Barcelona, were both competing at the European Cup tournaments in Italy.

Both squads struggled at the plate until the fourth when Sant Boi grabbed a 2-0 lead off Pamplona starter Patrice Briones. It would prove to be more than enough for Sant Boi’s Oscar Alvarez who replaced Albert Vargas (9-3, 1.69 ERA) in the starting rotation this season.

Alvarez (3-1) struck out eight en route to a complete game, two-hit shutout to notch the 5-0 win.

Briones (1-1), who was 1-4 with a 2.84 ERA a year ago, was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs and nine hits in six innings of work.

Sant Boi rolled to a 9-1 victory in the second encounter as Javier Flores had five hits and Jose E. Cruz remained undefeated on the hill in another effective outing. With the win, Sant Boi improved to 7-1 while Pamplona (1-7) lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Flores went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, and Jose Luis Riera crossed the plate three times for a Sant Boi squad which raced out to 3-0 advantage in the second and coasted to the easy victory.

Jose San Martin had five hits for Pamplona, which managed just one run on 10 hits.

Cruz (4-0) posted 12 strikeouts and limited Pamplona to a lone third inning score to stay perfect on the young season.

HALCONES AND VILADECANS BATTLE TO A DRAW
The Vigo Halcones scored twice in the ninth to send the game into extra-innings before pevailing 5-3 over Viladecans to claim their fifth win of the season. The surprising Halcones, making their debut in Spain’s top league, claimed their fifth victory of the young season as Ronny Malave (3-1) came out of the bullpen to record the win.

Viladecans jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and withstood a six-run rally by the Halcones in the sixth to capture a 9-6 win in the second meeting. Joshua Castro (1-1) notched the win while Jose Gabriel Mendez (0-1) absorbed the loss.

EL LLANO SALVAGES SPLIT WITH BASEBALL NAVARRA
Baseball Navarra scored a pair of runs in the ninth to pull even with El Llano, and Inaki Alfonso’s game-winning hit in the 11th secured the 3-2 comeback victory. Victor Martinez (1-0) registered the win while El Llano’s Roberto Noriega (0-1) took the loss.

Jose Rafael Morales hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the first and Ruben Fente (2-1) tossed eight strong innings to lead El Llano to a 5-1 victory in the weekend finale.

SAN INAZIO SURVIVES UPSET SCARE AGAINST ASTROS
Fidel Mane (2-0) scattered five hits and one run over six innings and Dirimo Chavez had three hits and drive in a trio of runs to steer San Inazio past the winless Valencia Astros, 8-1. In the second part of the doubleheaer, Alberto Magallon (2-1) and Andoni Ortiz combined on a four-hit shutout in a 1-0 nailbiter.

Kelvin Marianucci’s solo home run off Luis Galicia (0-1) in the sixth frame proved to be the difference in a low-scoring affair which saw both teams combine for a meager eight hits.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Baseball Navarra (1-7) vs. Marlins Pueto Cruz (6-0), April 18th
Navarra has struggle mightily at the plate so far this season scoring just 14 runs in their first eight outings. Pitcher Ronny Malave (3-1) has been one of the few bright spots for a team which broke a six-game losing skid last weekend against Viladecans. The Marlins have the best 1-2 pitching tandem in a pitching-rich league, and averages more than 10 runs a game on offense.

Valencia Astros (0-7) vs. El Llano (3-4), April 18th
The Astros have lost 35 consecutive games since beginning play in the top league last season, but have came close to pulling off a pair of upsets in recent weeks. El Llano’s bullpen failed the team last weekend against Navarra, and an inconsistent offense has also been problematic at the start of this season. A sweep over the Astros could provide El Llano with a dose of confidence to help propel the squad back towards the top of the standings.

FC Barcelona (5-0) vs. Pamplona (1-7), April 18th-19th
The preseason concerns regarding the departures of pitchers Jorge Balboa and Remigio Leal have yet to bear fruit as FC Barcelona has been dominant thus far this season. Pamplona has lost five games in a row and a matchup against one of the league’s elite squads is not good news.

Sant Boi (7-1) vs. Viladecans (4-3), April 18th-19th
Sant Boi finds itself in the thick of the championship hunt with an above-average batting lineup and pitching corps. A sweep over Viladecans would make a huge statement for a squad looking to get over the hump. Viladecans let a victory slip away last weekend but could get back on the right track with a pair of wins over Sant Boi.

Vigo Halcones (5-3) vs. San Inazio Bilbao (4-4), April 19th
The Halcones have been the toast of the league during the early stages of this season, and a pair of wins against San Inazio could signal that the Vigo club success thus far is not a fluke. San Inazio is one of the hottest teams in the league after winning four straight games and should pose some problems for the upstart Halcones.

Photo courtesy of Halcones de Vigo

Tags: Spain