Santo Domingo.– The Águilas Cibaeñas became this Thursday the first team to secure their classification to the semifinal of the Juan Marichal tournament, after defeating the Leones del Escogido 5-0 at the Cibao Stadium, in a game that registered delays due to power failures.
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Ezequiel Durán and Corey Joyce led the Aguilas offense with two RBIs each, while starter Jorge Tavárez (3-1) pitched five solid innings of two hits, one walk and one strikeout, to earn the victory. The save went to Burch Smith, his fifth of the campaign, entering at a critical moment with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. Samuel Reyes (0-1) took the loss for the Escogido, after allowing one run in one and a third innings.Eagles return to the postseason and seek to lead the regular season
With this triumph, the Cibao team secures its presence in the postseason for the second consecutive year, after having been left out in 2023.Now, with a record of 28-11, they aim to win the regular season, a feat they haven’t achieved since the 2012-2013 season. Meanwhile, the Escogido Lions, defending champions, fall to 16-24, further compromising their aspirations with only 10 games remaining in the regular season.
How the game was developed
The hawk attack began early:- 3rd inning:
Robert Moore led off with a double and was driven in by Ezequiel Durán’s single for a 1-0 lead. In that same inning, manager Luis Urueta and catcher Elih Marrero were ejected after arguing with the umpires. - 4th inning:
After an error that allowed Jerar Encarnación to reach base, Juan Lagares singled and Corey Joyce hit a double to center field to extend the lead to 3-0. - 5th inning:
Moore drew a walk, stole second base, and scored on another single by Durán, who added his second RBI of the game (4-0). - 7th inning:
Encarnación singled, advanced on a passed ball, and subsequently Wilmer Difó, who replaced him as a runner, scored on a “balk” by Nicaraguan Carlos Teller for the final 5-0 score.
