Emilio Bonifacio capped a six-run fourth inning with a bases-loaded home run, César Valdez dominated as the starter and Jairo Asencio as the closer to lead the Tigres del Licey to a 7-5 win over the Gigantes del Cibao in the match held in the Julián Javier stadium this Saturday in the continuation of the Round Robin of the Don Tomás Troncoso Cuesta autumn-winter baseball tournament.
With their victory, the Tigers (7-6) add their first victory in four attempts against the Giants (6-7) who now fall to third place, pending the result between the Águilas Cibaeñas and the Estrellas Orientales, both with 6- 6.
Valdez (2-1, 2.65) pitched the first six innings in which he gave up 6 hits, 4 runs, two earned with four strikeouts. He was followed on the mound by Oliver Ortega (7), Josh Lueke (8), Jonathan Aro (8) and Jairo Asencio, who earned the save.
Javier Solano (0-1, 10.80) was the starter and loser for the Giants. He worked 3.1 innings, allowed 4 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned with two walks and three strikeouts. He was relieved by Enrique Burgos (4), Luis Iván Rodríguez (5), Luis Perdomo (6), Derrick Loop (8), Juan Minaya (8) and Michael Ynoa (9).
El Licey scored first in the first inning by combining a walk to Emilio Bonifacio by Gigantes starter Javier Solano and an RBI double to center field by Ronny Mauricio.
The Giants took control two rounds into the bottom of the first thanks to singles by Yamaico Navarro and Henry Urrutia and errors by second baseman Luis Avilés Jr. on a groundout by Carlos Peguero and first baseman Ramón Hernández on a throw to the plate in the same move.
The Tigers scored six runs in the quarter culminating in Bonifacio’s bases-loaded home run off reliever Enrique Burgos. A single by Luis Barrera and a sacrifice fly by Avilés Jr. drove in the other two.
A home run by Carlos Peguero after one out in the fourth against César Valdez gave the Giants the third turn, who also scored in the fifth thanks to a single by Urrutia that brought Erik González home.
Urrutia led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a four-base shot off blue reliever Josh Lueke.
For the Tigers, Emilio Bonifacio hit his grand slam, Ramón Hernández and Ronny Mauricio, double, Luis Avilés Jr. and Sergio Alcántara, two singles, Luis Barrera, Mel Rojas Jr. and Jorge Alfaro, a single each.
For the Giants, Henry Urrutia hit a home run and a single, Yamaico Navarro, two hits, Luis Liberato, Carlos Peguero, a home run, Kelvin Gutiérrez, a double, Tomás Telis and Marcell Ozuna, a single each.
