Escogido Leones hit eight straight wins to lead Dominican league

Yamaico Navarro drove in two runs with a fourth-inning home run to lead the Leones del Escogido to an 8th consecutive win. The squad defeated the Águilas Cibaeñas 2-1 on Sunday night, cementing their hold on the top spot in the Liga Dominicana de Béisbol.

Navarro’s blast, which landed with Junior Lake on base, provided the only scoring for the Leones. The team finished the contest with 10 hits but could not extend their lead against the Águilas bullpen. Santiago’s record now stands at 9-4.

The Leones pitching staff limited the visiting club to just four hits. Angel Sanchez threw four innings before Kelvin Hernandez took the mound. Hernandez (2-0) was credited with the victory, while Austin recorded his first save of the season.

The Águilas scored their lone run in the 8th inning. Steward Berroa crossed the plate on a ground ball by Luis Liberato. The effort was not enough to complete a comeback for the Santiago-based team.

Santiago has now lost nine of its last 12 games. The Águilas fell to a 3-9 record following the loss.

In San Pedro de Macoris, the Tigres del Licey defeated the Estrellas Orientales 2-1. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Orientales and improved the Licey record to 9-4. The Tigres are now tied for the league lead with the Leones.

Gustavo Nunez and Bryan Lavastida each collected two hits in the Licey offensive effort. The team scored in the 2nd inning to take the lead and added a deciding run in the 7th to break a 1-1 tie.

The Gigantes del Cibao overwhelmed the Toros del Este 13-7 in San Francisco de Macoris. The Gigantes recorded 15 hits during the game. Luis Ferreras led the Toros with three hits, including a two-run home run in the 6th inning. He finished with five RBIs.

Carlos Jorge added three hits, a two-run homer, and three runs scored for the Toros. Elehuris de los Santos went 4-for-5 at the plate and drove in three additional runs. Despite the offensive output, the Toros could not overcome the 13-7 deficit.

In Venezuela, the Caribes de Anzoategui extended their winning streak to eight games in their last ten. They defeated the Leones del Caracas 7-1 to improve their record to 14-4. Balbino Fuenmayor led the Caribes with two hits and three RBIs in a 14-hit offensive outburst.

Hernan Perez hit his 6th home run of the season and scored twice. Gabriel Gonzalez contributed three hits, while Jose Sanchez added two hits and one RBI. The Caribes used nine pitchers to hold the Leones to four hits and one run, striking out 11 batters.

Liarvis Breto (1-0) earned the win for Anzoategui. Connor Van Scoyoc (0-2) took the loss. The Leones’ only run came from a solo home run by Victor Bericoto in the 6th inning.