Winter league action for Pirates’ players and friends on Saturday, including Australian games from Saturday morning….
DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Estrellas de Oriente 7, Tigres del Licey 5
Five runs in the 8th inning gave the come-from-behind win to Los Estrellas. Los Tigres scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st, aided by a wild pitch and three passed balls by C Dusty Brown, in his second game for Los Estrellas. Los Tigres added another run in the 4th inning. Los Estrellas began their come-back with two runs in the 3rd. With two outs, a walk and three consecutive singles drove in the runs. LF Jake Fox hit the third of the singles, collecting an RBI. Fox singled again in the 6th, but was forced out at second on a subsequent play. Three straight walks began the top of the 8th for Los Estrellas. A single, a fielding error, and a ground out each brought in a run. Brown wrapped up the scoring with a 2-RBI single into left field.
Gigantes del Cibao 9, Toros del Este 3
Los Gigantes broke a 3-3 tie with 3 runs in the 7th, then added 4 more runs over the last two innings of the game to cement the win. Los Toros scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st, on back-to-back doubles and an RBI single by 1B Matt Hague. Hague also singled in the 4th inning, and when a fielding error was made on the play, the Toros’ runner scored from second base for Los Toros’ only other run in the game. Hague worked a walk as well. SS Pedro Ciriaco went 0-for-3 in the game.
Aguilas Cibaenas 7, Leones del Escogido 6
RF Starling Marte led Los Leones with 3 hits, including a 5th inning solo home run. He doubled and scored in the 2-run rally in the top of the 1st. Los Leones were leading 6-4 going into the bottom of the 8th, when Los Aguilas scored twice. The tying run was forced in with a bases-loaded walk. The two teams proceeded to play another 8.5 innings of scoreless ball, with both teams putting at least one runner on base in most innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 9th, Los Aguilas worked a lead-off walk. A grounder to first gave Los Leones the chance to try for a double play, but the batter out-ran the relay and was safe at first. A double followed, and the runner from first came around to score the winning run.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Aguilas del Zulia 3, Tigres de Aragua 2
This one took 12 innings. Los Tigres scored one run in the bottom of the 1st, on two singles (one by SS Ronny Cedeno) and a wild pitch. 1B Hector Gimenez and LF Lastings Milledge both walked later in the inning, loading the bases, but all three runners were left stranded. Los Aguilas tied the score in the 4th inning, with Wil Ledezma on the mound for Los Tigres. A walk, a single, a double steal, and an RBI ground out brought in the run. Ledezma, who had only entered the game in the 3rd inning, was relieved after the run scored. The score remained tied for the next 6 innings, until Los Aguilas scored when a walk forced in a run in the top of the 11th. Los Tigres answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game again. Gimenez doubled, advanced to third on Milledge’s ground out, and scored on an RBI single. But Zulia scored again in the top of the 12th, with a sacrifice fly, and this time Los Tigres could not respond. Gimenez and another batter both singled in the bottom of the frame, but a ground out left both stranded. Diego Moreno pitched 2 scoreless innings (8th and 9th) for Zulia, allowing just one hit.
Cardenales de Lara 1, Leones del Caracas 0
A fine pitching duel, with the only run scored on a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 7th. LF Corey Wimberly had 2 of Los Leones’ 6 hits — a double in the 1st, and a single in the 8th.
PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Gigantes de Carolina 10, Leones de Ponce 3
Los Gigantes poured in on during the middle innings, scoring 2 in the 4th, 3 in the 5th, and 5 in the 6th. A triple, a single, and a throwing error gave Los Leones 2 runs in the 3rd. In the bottom of the 7th, with a runner on first, SS Benji Gonzalez grounded to first, but was fast enough getting down to first so that Los Gigantes could not turn a double play. He was safe at first, and came around to score on another triple.
AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE
Canberry Cavalry 12, Perth Heat 3 (Saturday)
Perth held a 2-1 lead after the 1st inning, but the Cavalry came roaring back with 2 runs in the 4th, 5th, and 9th innings, and 5 runs in the 8th. 1B Travis Scott singled and scored on a 2-run homer in the Cavalry’s 4th inning rally. He also reached base on a throwing error in the top of the 9th, loading the bases. A subsequent ground out and throwing error brought in two runs. 1B Aaron Baker went 0-for-4 for the Heat.
Adelaide Bite 5, Melbourne Aces 4 (Saturday)
The Bite’s Denny Almonte (Mariners) was at it again, with 3 hits in this game, including what turned out to be the game-winning 3-run homer in the 7th inning. The Aces scored all their innings in the 5th, on a walk, two singles, and a 3-run homer. The Bite scored one run in the 3rd and one in the 5th, before their big inning in the 8th. 1B Calvin Anderson doubled in the 7th game after the home run. Rinku Singh came on in relief for the Bite to begin the 6th inning. Singh retired the side in order in the 6th, and hit a batter then retired the side in order in the 7th. Singh was the pitcher of record when the Bite scored in the bottom of the 7th, and so was credited with the win. Ryan Beckman relieved Singh in the 8th. Two Aces’ batters reached due to errors, but Beckman did not allow them to score. He retired the side in order in the 9th to earn the Save.
Canberra Cavalry 6, Perth Heat 3 (Sunday)
1B Travis Scott singled three times for the Cavalry and also walked, scoring in both of Canberra’s rallies. Scott led off the 2nd with a single into right field, and after a walk and another single loaded the bases, he scored on a wild pitch. The third single of the inning drove in two more runs for the Cavalry. In the 5th, with two outs, a single, a fielding error, and a walk to Scott loaded the bases with Cavalry runners. Another error allowed two runs to score, and Scott came in on an RBI single. Scott also singled in the 7th, but was out in a subsequent double play. He singled again in the 9th, loading the bases, but was left stranded. Perth put up one run in the 1st and 2 in the 5th, but could not keep up with the Cavalry. Aaron Baker came into the game as a pinch-hitter for the Heat in the 7th inning, but struck out. He remained in the game to play 1st base, and struck out again in the 9th. His batting average dropped to .185, while Scott’s rose to .286.
