VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Bravos de Margarita 11, Cardenales de Lara 1
3B Neil Walker started the scoring for Los Bravos, with his second homer of the winter season, a solo blast over the left field wall to begin the 2nd inning. Two singles, a wild pitch, an RBI grounder, and a home run by CF Frank Diaz gave Margarita another 3 runs in the 5th inning. Walker led off the 6th inning with a line drive double into left. He scored on another double, and two more singles added two more runs, and Margarita had a 7-1 lead. A walk, two singles, and a 3-run homer by 1B Dennys Abreu in the 7th inning added 4 more runs to Margarita's total. LF Jonel Pacheco went 0-for-3, with a sacrifice bunt, and he also reached base on a throwing error. Former Indy Indian Michael Tejera earned his second win with 6 innings of work, allowing only one run on a double and a single in the 4th inning.
Tigres de Aragua 7, Leones del Caracas 2
SS Ronny Cedenomade his winter league debut for Aragua with a home run to lead off the 4th inning. After the homer, a fielding error and two singles, one by DH Raul Chavez loaded the bases for Los Tigres, and a walk forced in the second run of the inning and tied the score at 2-2. Aragua added 5 more runs in the 5th inning, on back-to-back homers: a grand slam by Raul Chavez, followed by a solo blast by 1B Hector Gimenez. Cedeno had singled in the inning and scored with the grand slam.
Navegantes del Magallanes 13, Tiburones de La Guaira 5
Magallanes recorded 18 hits and took advantage of 6 errors by Los Tiburones, though they committed 3 errors of their own. SS Argenis Diaz did not have one of the 18 hits, but he walked, and reached base on a throwing error when he dropped down a sacrifice bunt. LF Mike Ryan did not have a hit, but he also reached on an error. 2B Jorge Velandia entered the game when La Guaira's starting second baseman left the game in the 2nd inning (not sure if it was due to an injury or something else). He had a walk in three trips to the plate.
MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Venados de Mazatlan 8, Tomateros de Culiacan 7 (10 innings)
CF Ruben Rivera's 2-run homer in the top of the 10th broke a 6-6 tie for Mazatlan. Los Venados still had to hold off Los Tomateros in the bottom of the inning, though. DH Luis Cruz led off the bottom of the frame with a single. Cruz was forced out at second on a grounder to short. Two wild pitches put the remaining base runner on third base. An RBI single brought that runner home, and another single put Tomateros on the corners with two outs. A pop up to 2B Brian Bixler ended the game and preserved the win for Mazatlan.
Culiacan had scored first, with a homer in the 1st inning. Mazatlan's 3B Freddy Sandoval had tied it up with a home run in the 4th inning. Los Venados took the lead with 4 runs in the 5th inning. Three singles, including one by LF Rogelios Noris brought in one run. Brian Bixler loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Another single scored two runs, including Noris, and Sandoval's RBI single brought in Bixler, giving Mazatlan a 5-1 lead. Culiacan made it 5-4 with three runs in the bottom of the 5th. Bixler led off the 7th with a single, and scored after another single and an RBI ground out. Culiacan came back with 2 runs on a walk and three singles in the second half of the inning, to tie the score at 6-6 and set up the showdown in the 10th.
DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Estrellas de Oriente 5, Leones de Escogido 3
Los Estrellas did most of their damage in the 7th inning, when they led off the inning with three consecutive singles, including one by C Robinzon Diaz. LF Nelson Teilon followed the singles with a grand slam. They added one more run in the 8th inning on a walk and two singles. Diaz went 1-for-4 at the plate. 2B Pedro Lopez was hitless in 3 trips to the plate.
