Piratas Down Leones 4-2

TAKE A 3 GAMES TO 2 LEAD BACK TO MERIDA

Campeche starter Hector Velazquez and 4 relief pitchers held the Leones to 2 runs on 6 hits to win Sunday's game 4-2. Ozzie Mendez picked up the win in relief with Fernando Nieve recording his 3rd save of the playoffs. Francisco Rodriguez gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in 1/3 of an inning to take the loss for Yucatan.

Garcia scores for the Leones
Leones Facebook

Both starting pitchers kept the game scoreless until the 7th inning. The Leones scored first. Hector Gimenez singled to lead off the top of the 7th. Luis Garcia drew a base on balls. After Ricardo Serrano grounded into a fielder's choice and Kevin Flores popped out, pinch hitter Albino Contreras singled to right to score Garcia. Corey Wimberly was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Jaime Pedroza singled to score Serrano but Contreras was thrown out at home on a perfect throw by the Piratas right fielder. The Leones had a 2-0 lead.

Campeche got those runs back and more in their half of the inning. Eliseo Aldazaba was hit by a pitch to lead off but was erased on a good 1-6 put out by the Leones starter, Yoanner Negrin. Lopez went to second on a single by Fernando Flores. Negrin was replaced on the mound by Francisco Rodriguez who walked pinch hitter Jesus Valenzuela on four pitches to load the bases with one out. After the second out, Roberto Valencia singled to right with Lopez and Flores scoring. Alfredo Silverio singled to drive in pinch runner Jasson Atondo and Ronny Paulino plated Valencia with a single for the Piratas final 4-2 win.

Jose Aguilar went 2 for 3 and Albino Contreras 1 for 1 with an RBI while Jaime Pedroza was 1 for 4 with an RBI for Yucatan.

Roberto Valencia was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter, driving in 2, Alfredo Silverio 2 for 4 with an RBI, Roberto Lopez 2 for 3 with a run scored and Ronny Paulino 1 for 4 with an RBI for Campeche.

The Zona Sur divisional playoff between these two teams returns to Merida for game 6 on Tuesday the 25th of August and game 7, if necessary, Wednesday the 26th.

IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION

Saltillo 4, Monclova 2

The Saraperos broke a 2-2 tie with the Acereros in the bottom of the 7th on solo home runs by Justin Greene and Manny Rodriguez on their way to a 4-2 win. They cut the Zona Norte divisional playoff lead by Monclova to 3 games to 2.

Monclova had opened the scoring with a solo home run by Brett Harper in the top of the 4th as the Acereros took a 1-0 lead.

Saltillo scored twice in the bottom of the 5th to take a 2-1 lead. Christian Zazueta singled and went to second on a hit batter. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Justin Greene.

Antonio Lamas doubled for Monclova in the top of the 6th and scored on a single by Olmo Rosario to tie the game at 2 all before the Saraperos put the game away in the 7th.

Josh Lowey gave up all 4 runs to Saltillo in 6 2/3 innings on the mound. He allowed 8  and struck out 6 in the loss. Edgmer Escalona picked up the win for the Saraperos, going 7 innings, scattering 7 hits and allowing both Acereros runs. Robert Suarez picked up his 2nd save for Saltillo.

Justin Greene was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs, Christian Zazueta 3 for 4, Refugio Cervantes 3 for 4 and Manny Rodriguez 1 for 4 with the home run for Saltillo.

Antonio Lamas went 2 for 4 and Brett Harper 1 for 4 with the home run for Monclova.

The series moves to Monclova for game 6 and game 7, if necessary, beginning on Tuesday the 25th of August.

Oaxaca 3, Quintana Roo 1

The Guerreros took a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of seven Zona Sur divisional playoffs against the Tigres by virtue of their 3-1 win over the Tigres on Sunday in Oaxaca.

Gonzalez' sacrifice bunt
Oaxaca Facebook

Alan Sanchez singled, as did Alejandro Ortiz to lead off  the bottom of the 3rd for Oaxaca. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by Ronny Cedeno. One out later, Yancarlo Angulo singled to score Cedeno and the Guerreros had all the runs they needed. They led 3-0.

Iker Franco led off the top of the 8th for the Tigres with a single, moved to second on a ground out and Angel Erro, a pinch runner for Franco, scored on a single by Carlos Gastelum for the final score of 3-1 Guerreros.

Sergio Valenzuela / Guerreros Facebook

Sergio Valenzuela went 7 1/3 innings to pick up the win for Oaxaca. He gave up 5 hits, 1 run and struck out 7. Manny Corpas pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to record the save. Ramon Ortiz gave up all 3 Guerreros runs on 9 hits to take the loss.

The series shifts to Cancun for game 6 and game 7, if necessary, beginning on Tuesday the 25th of August.

Tijuana 3, Mexico 1

Miguel Olivo hit a home run, with Oscar Robles on base to give the Toros a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st that would hold up as the Tijuana pitching staff held the Diablos to 3 hits to beat Mexico 3-1 and take game 5 of the Zona Norte divisional playoffs.

The series now heads back to Mexico City for game 6 on Tuesday the 25th of August with the wild card Toros, after sweeping the 3 games in Tijuana, holding a 3 games to 2 lead in the series.

Fabio Castro went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and striking out 6. He also walked 5 Diablos but Mexico was unable to take advantage of the free passes. 4 Toros pitchers were credited with holds and Mario Mendoza earned the save, pitching a 1-2-3 top of the 9th.

Marco Duarte pitched well for Mexico, throwing 8 complete innings, giving up 3 runs while scattering 5 hits and striking out 4. One bad pitch, the home run to Olivo in the bottom of the 1st, was Durante's downfall in the loss.

Miguel Olivo was 2 for 2 with a walk, 2 RBIs and a run scored, Lew Ford 2 for 3 with a run scored and Eduardo Arredondo went 0 for 3 with a sac fly RBI in the 8th for Tijuana.

Ramon Urias, Ivan Terraas and Jesus Lopez had the 3 hits for Mexico 

Leones Open Zona Sur Series With 7-1 Win Over Piratas

Watch the highlight video here.

Yucatan jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after 2 innings and Yoanner Negrin, with the help of 4 relief pitchers, did the rest as the Leones beat the Piratas 7-1 in the first game of a best of seven series.


Yoanner Negrin on the mound
Leones facebook

Corey Wimberly lead off the bottom of the 1st with a single and went to third on a single by Jaime Pedroza, who took second on the throw to third. Wimberly scored on a ground out and Pedroza scored on a single by Jesus Valdez. Hector Gimenez followed with a single to drive in Valdez, who had stolen second. Ricardo Serrano got Gimenez home with a single and the Leones led 4-0 after one inning.

Wimberly scores / Leones facebook

Israel Nunez started the 2nd for Yucatan with a bunt single down the third base line. Corey Wimberly and Jose Aguilar were both hit by pitches. The Leones had the bases loaded with one out. Jesus Valdez tripled to clear the bases and the Leones were up 7-0.

The Piratas remained scoreless until Paul Leon tripled with one out in the top of the 9th and scored on a ground ball out by Jason Alondo for the only Campeche run of the game.

Negrin worked 5 2/3 innings, scattering 6 hits and walking 2 while striking out 5 to get the win for Yucatan. Francisco Campos was roughed up for 7 runs on 7 hits in just 1 1/3 innings for the Piratas, to take the loss.

Jesus Valdez was 2 for 4 for the Leones with 4 RBIs while Jose Aguilar went 1 for 4 with an RBI and Hector Gimenez was 1 for 3 with and RBI.

The Piratas' Adan Velazquez was the bright spot in the Campeche lineup going 2 for 4 while Jasson Alondo drove in the teams only run.

These two teams meet again today, Wednesday the 19th of August, to continue the best of seven series. Thursday is a travel day and the series will pick up again on Friday the 21st of August in Campeche.
IN OTHER LMB PLAYOFF ACTION

Mexico 5, Tijuana 2

Watch a highlight video here.

Diablos Celebrate

Ivan Terrazas was 2 for 3 on the night and hit a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 5th for the Diablos as they took game 1 of the Zona Norte series with Tijuana by a 5-2 score. Sergio Gastelum scored a run on a 2 for 4 night at the late.

The Toros used 2 walks and a single by Luis Suarez to score Dustin Martin with their 1st run and a solo home run by Carlos Valencia in the 7th for their 2 runs. Suarez was 2 for 4 and Valencia 1 for 4 for the game.

Marcos Duarte got the win and Juan Sandoval earned the save for the Diablos. Fabio Castro started for the Toros and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits while walking 4 in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss.


Monclova 10, Saltillo 3

Watch a highlight video here.

The Saraperos pitching staff finished 14th in ERA in the league this year, giving up just over 5 runs a game. The Acereros made Saltillo pay for another poor showing, topping the Saraperos 10-3. Monclova leads the Zona Norte series 1-0

Josh Lowey wasn't as sharp as he has been but he scattered 7 hits over 6 innings to get the win. Lowey's only bad pitch of the night resulted in a 2 run home run by Refugio Cervantes in the top of the 1st inning to give the Saraperos their only lead of the game.

Francisco Cordoba blasted a 3 run home run for Monclova in the bottom of the 2nd as theAcereros took the lead and didn't look back, scoring in the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th for the 10-3 win.

Josh Lowey / LMB Website

Lowey got the win and Edgmer Escalona worked 5 1/3 innings giving up 7 runs to be saddled with the loss.

Francisco Cordoba, Jose Ruiz and Antonio Lamas homered for Monclova with Cordoba going 2 for 3 with 3 RBIS and 2 runs scored. Ruiz was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs and Lamas 1 for 5 with 2 RBIs.

Refugio Cervantes was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs while Justin Greene was 3 for 4 with a run scored for Saltillo.

Oaxaca 8, Quintana Roo 0

Watch a highlight video here.

The Guerreros used 11 hits to score 8 runs as Oaxaca took the 1st game of their Zona Sur playoff series with the Tigres 8-0.

Sergio Valenzuela / Guerreros Facebook

Sergio Valenzuela gave up just 4 hits to the Tigres in his 6 2/3 innings on the mound to pick up the win. 3 relievers worked the final 2 1/3 innings holding the Tigres hitless. Ramon Ortiz lasted just 4 innings in the loss, giving up 5 runs on 6 hits.

Erick Rodriguez, the Guerreros catcher, was 3 for 4 on the night with an RBI and 2 runs scored while Alan Sanchez was 1 for 5 with 2 RBIs and Ronny Cedeno went 2 for 4 with an RBI



Video highlights courtesy of the LMB and ITV

Leones' Road To The 2015 Playoffs

Since winning the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Championship in 2006, the Leones struggled in the playoffs from 2007 through 2010. The team lost in the finals in 2007, lost the Zona Sur Championship round in 2008 and lost in he 1st round in 2009 and 2010.

The Leones did not qualify for the league playoffs from 2011 - 2014. At the end of the 2013 season the ownership decided changes had to be made. They fired their manager, Daniel Fernandez and hired Matias Carrillo. After a losing season in 2014, Carrillo was let go and a former Leones player with little managerial experience, Wilfredo Romero, was hired for the 2015 season. Romero was a player on the 2006 LMB Championship team.

Fernandez' team had missed the 2013 playoff by 5 games, finishing 6th of 8 teams in the Zona Sur. Things did not go well in 2014 as the team finished 8 games out of the playoffs and 7th out of 8 teams. Carrillo was fired and Romero hired in October of 2014.

Typical Merida Crowd/Leones facebook

In 2015, Romero and the Leones have turned things around. The team finished the regular season in 1st place in the Zona Sur of the LMB, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Tigres de Quintana Roo. Yucatan's record of 66-46 is a twenty game improvement over 2014.

The Leones change in their record from 2014 to 2015 was dramatic. In 2014, Yucatan finished 10th in the league in batting average, 14th in hits, 8th in doubles, 13th in home runs and 15th in RBIs. Conversely in 2015, the team is 6th in batting average (at .291), 3rd in hits (1105), 3rd in doubles (211), 3rd in triples (18) and 4th in RBIs (562). They also finished 4th in steals with 77, pointing to a speedier team that is more aggressive on the base paths.

At the same time the pitching improved dramatically. In 2014 the Leones pitchers were 14th in wins, 9th in ERA, 13th in strikeouts and 12th in WHIP (Walks plus Hits / Innings Pitched) The pitching staff in 2015 is 2nd in wins (66), 1st in ERA (3.77), 1st in shutouts (14), 5th in walks allowed (358) and 1st in WHIP (1.34).

Marco Quevedo
team leader in Wins
ERA and WHIP

Good players can make a manager look good but the turn around in just one year can and does justify accolades for Romero. If the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, under Miguel Ojeda, had not finished with 73 victories, the most in league history, Romero would have been a shoo-in for Manager of the Year in the LMB.

Jose Aguilar

The Leones are loaded with talent. Second baseman Jaime Pedroza hit .305 on the year playing the second half. Hector Gimenez, from Venezuela, hit .301 with 20 home runs and 77 RBIs. Jose Aguilar had 8 home runs and 57 RBIs while batting .299.

The two biggest stars for the Leones though, were Corey "El Flow" Wimberly and Jesus "Cacao" Valdez. Wimberly, from the US, led the league in runs scored with 97, hit .340, stole 34 bases and had 15 assists from his centerfield position. He also led the league in being hit by a pitch 24 times.

Corey Wimberly

Jesus Valdez
BA .363 leads
the league

Valdez, hailing from the Dominican Republic led the league in batting average, hitting .363 on the year with 7 home runs and 98 RBIs. Had Japhet Amador not had a monster year at the plate, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 117 runs, Valdez would have been a serious contender for the LMB Most Valuable Player.

As it is, Wimberly and Valdez finished in a tie, based on fan voting, for the Leones MVP.

The pitching improved for 2015 but as any fan will tell you, pitching wins games but hitting fills the seats!

One fact that is all telling about a team's success is attendance. From 2011 through 2014 the attendance at Estadio de Beisbol Kukulkan Alamo had steadily fallen until just 225,404 (4,600/game) crossed through the turnstiles in 2014. The winning in 2015 brought the fans back in droves. 528,351 fans, or 8,755 per game, passed through the gates to watch the Leones.

The playoffs begin on Sunday with the Piratas de Campeche and the Pericos de Puebla in a one game playoff to determine who will play the Leones in a 7 game series beginning on Tuesday the 18 of August. The Guerreros de Oaxaca travel to Cancun to take on the Tigres de Quintana Roo in the other playoff of the Zona Sur. As long as the Leones keep on winning the road to the 2015 Division Championship will go through Merida.  

Delfines Take 3rd Game Of Series With The Leones 4-2

Ciudad del Carmen never trailed in their 4-2 win over the Leones in Merida. Adrian Guzman scattered 9 hits and gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings to give his team a chance to put the game away. Ecubiel Gonzalez (3-1) got the win in relief and Josh Lueke notched his 24th save.

Henry Gonzalez got things rolling for the Delfines in the top of the 1st inning, getting hit by a pitch, stealing 2nd, moving to third on a fly ball to right and scoring on a single by Francisco Lugo. Delfines 1, Leones 0.

Yucatan answered in the bottom of the 5th. Corey Wimberly reached on a throwing error by the del Carmen shortstop and stopped at third on a double by Jaime Pedroza. Wimberly scored on a sac fly to right by Jesus Valdez to tie the score at 1.

The Delfines scored their second run, in the top of the 6th, without the benefit of a hit. Gilberto Meija led off the inning by drawing a base on balls. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Freddy Guzman, stole third and scored on a sac fly by Henry Rodriguez. The Delfines led 2-1.

Hector Gimenez hit a solo home run to left in the bottom of the 6th for the Leones to tie the game at 2 apiece.

Francisco Moreno hit a one out single in the top of the 8th inning for del Carmen and scored in front of a home run by Gilberto Mejia for the final 4-2 win by the Delfines.

Hector Navarro (4-3) took the loss for Yucatan.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo beat the Piratas de Campeche to move within 1 1/2 games of the Leones with 2 games to play. The final two games of the season for Yucatan are with the Tigres in Merida. The Leones need to win one of the two games to become the champions of the Zona Sur of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.

IN OTHER LMB ACTION

Mexico 9, Aguascalientes 1
Japhet Amador drove in his league leading 116th and 117th runs on a 2 for 3 night as Mexico topped Aguascalients 9-1. Ramon Urias was 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored and Ivan Terrazas went 3 for 3 for the Diablos. Saul Soto went 2 for 3 for the Rieleros. Mexico won their 72nd game of the year to solidify their best record in the LMB.

Veracruz 2, Puebla 0
Manuel Flores (8-6) tossed 8 innings of 3 hit ball for the win against the Pericos and Juan Perez picked up his 2nd save of the year. Andres Meza (6-6) took the loss. Juan Moreno was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Aguilas.

Laguna 9, Tamaluipas 2
The Vaqueros got home runs from Oswaldo Morejon, Juan Miranda and Jose Orozco to top the Broncos 9-2. Salvador Valdez (6-7) went six innings for the win and Oswaldo Pacheco (0-3) took the loss.

Quintana Roo 6, Campeche 4
The Tigres scored 3 times in the bottom of the 8th to come from a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 win over the Piratas. Esteban Quiroz hit a bases clearing 3 run double and 3 RBIs on the night. The Piratas got home runs from Adan Valazquez, CJ Retherford and Fernando Flores for their 4 runs.

Monterrey 7, Monclova 5
Felix Perez went 1 for 4 with a 2 run home run and Edgar Quintero had a home run in 3 at bats as the Sultanes beat the Acereros 7-5. Hernando Arredondo hit a pinch hit 2 run home run for Monclova in the loss.

Oaxaca 3, Tabasco 1  (10 innings)
Yancarlo Angulo hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th, Mario Valenzuela doubled and pinch runner Alejandro Gonzalez scored on a single by Mike Jacobs as the Guerreros topped the Olmecas 3-1 in 10 innings. Manny Corpas (6-3) got the win and Rodolfo Aguirre (6-5) took the loss.

Saltillo 6, Tijuana 5
Christian Zazueta went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs for the saraperos in their 6-5 victory over the Toros. iguel Olivo was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs for Tijuana. Luis De La O (1-2) picked up the win in relief and Robert Suarez notched his 23rd save. Jose Manuel Lopez (3-4) took the loss.

Yucatan Sweeps Puebla With 8-2 Victory

TIGRES LOSS TO OAXACA DROPS THEM 1 1/2 GAMES BACK

The Leones used good pitching and timely hitting to best to Pericos 8-2 and sweep the series from the Pericos in Puebla.

Jesus Rodriguez (6-2) pitched 6 scoreless innings to get the victory as the Leones built an early 8-0 lead before the Pericos scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Yucatan jumped out on top in the 1st as the leadoff batter, Edson Garcia, drew a walk and singles by Kevin Flores, Albino Contreras and Jesus Valdez put the Leones up 2-0 before the Pericos came to bat.

In the top of the 4th, Humberto Cota drew a 2 out walk and came around to score on a double to left by Edson Garcia. The Leones lead was now 3-0.

Jesus Valdez Scores for Yucatan

Jesus Valdez doubled with one out in the top of the 5th inning for Yucatan. Hector Gimenez drew a base on balls and Valdez scored on a ground rule double to left by Ricardo Serrano. After a pitching change, Puebla elected to walk Jesus Lugo intentionally to load the bases. Humberto Cota then waited out a walk to bring home Gimenez and the Leones had  5-0 lead.

3 consecutive singles in the top of the 9th inning led to a Yucatan score and when Humberto Cota walked, Hector Gimenez scored to up the score to 7-0. Kristian Delgado singled to drive in Ricardo Serrano with the final Leones run and an 8-0 lead.

Ivan Jimenez tripled to lead off the bottom of the 9th for the Pericos and scored on a single by Jesus Arredondo to break the shutout and narrow the gap to 8-0. Cesar Tapia doubled to left to score Arredondo for the final score of 8-2.

Mauricio Lara (5-8) gave up 5 runs on 8 hits with 3 walks to take the loss for Puebla.

Jesus Valdez went 5 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for Yucatan while teammate Ricardo Serrano was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs.

Jesus Arredondo was 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Pericos.

IN OTHER LMB ACTION

Oaxaca 10, Quintana Roo 8
The Guerreros withstood a 5 run rally by the Tigres in the top of the 9th and held on for a 10-8 win. Francisco Peguero hit his 3rd home run in 2 games for the Tigres, a grand slam in the 9th, but it wasn't enough. The Guerreros pounded out 15 hits and 2 home runs in the game. With the loss, the Tigres fell 1 1/2 games behind Yucatan for the top spot in Zona Sur.

Monterrey 5, Mexico 1
The Sultanes got 7 good innings from Marco Tovar (9-3) as Monterrey topped the Diablos 5-1. David Reyes (9-6) took the loss. Monterrey used home runs by Missael German and Felix Perez to overpower Mexico.

Aguascalientes 14, Monclova 4
The Rieleros  jumped out to an 11-0 lead and coasted to a 14-4 win over the Acereros. Julio DePaula (4-3) earned the win and Enrique Lechuga (4-8) took the loss. Saul Soto went 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs for the Rieleros.

Tijuana 12, Tamaulipas 0
Barry Enright (7-3) pitched 6 shut out innings to get the win in the Toros 12-0 victory over the Broncos. Omar Espinosa (4-8) took the loss. Carlos Valencia had a 3 run home run and Miguel Olivo was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs for the Toros.

Tabasco 5, Ciudad del Carmen 2
The Olmecas snapped their 9 game losing streak with the 5-2 win over he Delfines. Tabasco scored 3 times in the top of the 9th to break a 2-2 tie and Luis Ayala shut down del Carmen in the bottom of the 9th to pick up his 17th save and give Rodolfo Aguirre (6-4) the win. Gaudencio Aguirre (5-3) took the loss. Said Gutierrez was 2 for 2 with a home run and 2 runs scored for the Olmecas.

Campeche 7, Veracruz 6
The Piratas went up 7-1 in the 5th and withstood the Aguilas comeback attempt to win 7-6. Rolando Valdez (4-0) got the win and Fernando Nieve notched his 9th save of the year. Fenando Flores was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for Campeche while Jesus Espinosa was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 2 RBIs for the Aguilas.

Saltillo 3, Laguna 2
The Saraperos scored 3 times in the bottom of the 8th to beat the Vaqueros 3-2. Saltillo scored on a single by Manny Rodriguez, a double by Jon Del Campo and a wild pitch by Tony Pena Jr., the league leader in saves, who took the loss. Robert Suarez (5-0) picked up the win in relief.

Yucatan Shuts Out Puebla 9-0

3 PITCHERS HOLD PERICOS TO 3 HITS IN SHUTOUT

Jonathan Castellanos/Leones Facebook

Jonathan Castellanos (7-6) held he Pericos to 1 hit, walked one and struckout 5 in 7 strong innings for the Leones. Eder Llamas and Manuel Rodriguez finished out the shut out as the Leones powered their way to a 9-0 victory.

Corey Wimberly led off the game with a single and scored two outs later on a home run to left by Hector Gimenez that put the Leones up 2-0. That would prove to be enough for Castellanos but Yucatan would not stop there.

Corey Wimberly singles

Ricardo Serrano and Kevin Flores opened the Leones half of the 4th inning with singles. Serrano would score when Kristian Delgado reached safely as the Pericos shortstop misplayed his ground ball. Corey Wimberly then drew a base on balls to load the bases. Albino Contreras came through with a 2 out single to right that scored Flores and Delgado. Hector Gimenez drove home Wimberly with a single to center and the Leones had a comfortable 6-0 lead. Luis Garcia walked to load the bases. Ricardo Serrano walked to drive in Contreras and Kevin Flores waited out the third consecutive walk to force in Gimenez and the lead was 8-0 after four innings.

Edson Garcia hit a 2 out double to center in the 5th inning and scored the final run of the game for Yucatan when the Pericos shortstop botched a ground ball hit by Albino Contreras.

Andres Meza (6-5) lasted just 2/3 of an inning, giving up the home run. The Pericos committed 4 errors in the game and walked 5, not a formula for success in any league.



Hector Gimenez at the plate

The Leones were powered by Hector Gimenez who went 2 for 5 on the night with a home run, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored while teammate Albino Contreras was 1 for 5 with 2 RBIs and Ricardo Serrano went 3 for 4 with an RBI.






IN OTHER LMB ACTION

Quintana Roo 13, Oaxaca 3
The Tigres kept pace with the Leones in the race for the Division lead in Zona Sur with a 13-3 win over the Guerreros. Francisco Peguero was 5 for 6 with 2 home runs, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored in the win. Jorge Cantu added 2 home runs of his own on a 4 for 4 night at the plate for the Tigres.

Monterrey 15, Mexico 6
The two teams combined for 30 hits and 21 runs in a contest that was certainly not a pitchers duel by any stretch of the imagination. Marcos Rivera (3-3) picked up the win and Arturo Lopez (8-3) took the loss. Asael Sanchez hit a home run, drove in 3 and scored 2 for the Sultanes and Heber Gomez went 3 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBIs in the win.

Monclova 7, Aguascalientes 3
Jose Oyervidez (8-5) pitched 5 2/3 innings to get the win for the Acereros while Fredy Quinteros (3-4) took the loss. Olmo Rosario, 4 for 4 on the night, had a home run and 3 RBIs while Jose Ruiz and Jose Amador added home runs and 5 RBIs for Monclova. Carlos Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Rieleros.

Laguna 10, Saltillo 6
Francisco Mendez hit a grand slam home run in the 8th inning to power the Vaqueros to a 10-6 win over the Saraperos. Justin Greene went 5 for 5 with 3 RBIs in the losing effort. Ivan Zavala (6-7) picked up the win while Santiago Gutierrez (8-6) suffered the loss.

Ciudad del Carmen 2, Tabasco 1
Jose Castillo had 1 of the 2 Olmeca hits on the night, a solo home run in the 2nd inning that gave Tabasco a short lived lead. Gilberto Mejia drove in both runs for the Delfines. Oscar Rivera (5-7) got the win while Josh Lueke notched his 23rd save of the season. The Olmecas have dropped 9 consecutive games.

Campeche 4, Veracruz 2
The Piratas won their 6th consecutive game with the 4-2 win over the Aguilas Rojos. Hector Velazquez (6-4) picked up the win and Alan Garcia (0-1) suffered the loss. Alfredo Silverio went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Paul Leon added a home run for the Piratas. Jose Espinoza had a home run on a 1 for 2 night at the plate for Veracruz.

Tamaulipas 6, Tijuana 2
Frank Diaz went 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Broncos in the 6-2 win over the Toros. Nicolas Heredia (6-3) picked up the win and Luis Daniel notced his 1st save. Alejandro Martinez (4-5) took the loss/

Leones Top Pericos 9-4

MAINTAIN 1/2 GAME LEAD OVER TIGRES IN ZONA SUR

The Leones de Yucatan beat the Pericos de Puebla 9-4 on Friday night to improve to 61-44 on the year and maintain a 1/2 game lead over the Tigres de Quintana Roo. The Tigres mauled the Guerreros de Oaxaca 15-3.

Valdez Home Run

Yucatan fell behind in the 2nd inning when the Perico's Jesus Cota launched a 2 run homerun t right that scored Brent Clevlen for the early 2-0 lead.

Humberto Cota, the Leones catcher, started the Yucatan 3rd inning with a one out single and scored on a ground rule double to left by Albino Contreras. After Jaime Pedroza drew a walk to load the bases, the Pericos second baseman botched a ground ball by Jesus Valdez that cleared the bases and gave the Leones a 4-2 lead.


Valdez 3 run grounder / Leones Facebook

Puebla would score single runs in the 4th and 6th innings to tie the score at 4 all.

Corey Wimberly singled to drive in Humberto Cota in the top of the 7th for the Leones go ahead run. Wimberly then stole second and third to give him 33 steals on the year. Edson Garcia then singled to score Wimberly and Yucatan took a 6-4 lead.

Kevin Flores doubled with 2 outs in the Yucatan 8th inning and scored on a fielding error by the Pericos second baseman to put the Leones up 7-4.

Jesus Valdez and Hector Gimenez reached for Yucatan in the top of the 9th and both would score on a double by Ricardo Serrano for the final score of 9-4.

Corey Wimberly, Albino Contreras and Hector Gimenez were all 2 for 5 combining for 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored.

Jesus Cota went 1 for 3 with a homerun and 3 RBIs for Puebla.

Miguel Aguilar picked up the win for the Leones to improve to 2-0 while Carlos Teller (4-7) was saddled with the loss.

The Tigres de Quintana Roo are 60-44 having played one less game than the Leones. These two teams meet, in Merida, for the final two games of the season which could very well decide the championship of the Zona Sur in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB).

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Tigres 15, Oaxaca 3
The Tigres pounded out 16 hits on their war to the 15-3 victory over the Guerreros. Francisco Peguero went 2 for 4 with a home run, 6 RBIs and 3 runs scored for the Tigres. Alejandro Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a home run for Oaxca. Ramon Ortiz (7-0) got the win while Octavio Acosta (1-1) lasted just 2 innings in the loss.

Mexico 10, Monterrey 4
The score was 5-3 Diablos in the 7th when Japhet Amador connected for his league leading 41st home run and his 113th and 114th RBIs as the Diablos beat the Sultanes de Monterrey 10-4 for their 70th win of the year. Mexico leads the Zona Norte by 13 1/2 games with 8 games to play. Marco Duarte (12-5) got the win and Javier Solano (6-7) took the loss.

Monclova 10, Aguascalientes 8 (10 innings)
Francisco Cordoba singled with 2 outs in the top of the 10th to score Olmo Rosario and Abraham Ramos. Marcos Zavala shut down the Rieleros in the bottom of the 10th to pick up his 1st save. The Acereros tied the game in the 9th on a sac fly by Hernando Arredondo. Matt Nevarez (2-1) got the win while Esteban Haro took the loss.

Tijuana 4, Tamaulipas 3
The Toros 1B, Dustin Martin hit a 2 out 2 run home run in the top of the 7th inning to lead Tijuana to a 4-3 win over the Broncos. Walter Silva (5-6) got the win and Mario Mendoza picked up his 5th save. Marco Campoy (0-2) took the loss. With the loss, the Broncos de Tamaulipas were officially eliminated for the race in the Zona Norte.

Saltillo 5, Laguna 0
Michael Nix (10-4) threw 7 innings of 3 hit ball and two relievers worked the final 2 innings to give the Seraparos the 5-0 win. Salvador Valdez (5-7) suffered the loss. Refugio Cervantes, the Saltillo DH, was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs in the win.

Ciudad del Carmen 1, Tabasco 0
Adrian Guzman (3-0) and 4 relievers combined on a 4 hit shutout of the Olmecas. Josh Lueke picked up save number 22 for del Carmen. Francisco Lugo hit into a fielder's choice that scored Horacio Vasquez for the only run of the game.

Campeche 10, Veracruz 9
Fernando Flores hit a 1 out walk off sac fly to center tha scored CJ Retherford with the winning run for the Piratas in the exciting 10-9 victory over the Aguilas Rojos in Campeche. Retherford was 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored for the Piratas. Eliseo Aldazaba had a 3 for 5 night with a home run and 4 RBIs for Campeche. Humberto Sosa was 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored for Veracruz.

Yucatan Opens Series Against Puebla With 6-1 Loss

Pericos Double Play / Pericos Facebook

The Leones continue to face good pitching against Liga Mexicana de Beisbol foes and Friday was no different. The Pericos' Andres Mesa (3-0) scattered 7 hits over six innings, allowing just 1 run while striking out 4. Two relief pitchers for Puebla gave up two hits over the final three innings with no runs scored. Juan Delgadillo (1-3) was charged with the loss for Yucatan, giving up 11 hits, 6 runs and a home run.

Yucatan scored their only run in the top of the 1st. Ivan Araujo doubled to lead off the game. One batter later, Hector Gimenez doubled to right to score Araujo and the Leones had their only lead of the night at 1-0.

Araujo Scores / Leones Facebook

It took Puebla three batters to take the lead in the bottom of the 1st. Jon Del Campo led off the inning with a single and scored on a triple into the right field corner by Alberto Carreon. Miguel Tejada hit a grounder to second that scored Carreon and the Pericos led 2-2. 

Sandy Madera led off the 3rd inning for Puebla with a solo home run to left for an insurance run to give the Pericos a 3-1 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the 4th, Jon Del Campo singled, stole second and scored on a single by Miguel Tejada. Following a Sandy Madera double, putting runners at second and third with two outs, Luke Scott singled to score Tejada and Madera. The Pericos had a 6-1 lead and the win.

Luke Scott / Pericos Facebook

Willy Aybar was 2 for 4 and Hector Gimenez 1 for 3 with the RBI for the Leones.

Sandy Madera was 2 for 3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, Miguel Tejada 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and Luke Scott 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Puebla.

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Oaxaca 6, Quintana Roo 2
Mike Jacobs continued his hot hitting for the Guerreros, going 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs in the 6-2 win for Oaxaca. Martin Sotelo (1-0) picked up the win in relief as Rafael Perez (2-0) took the loss. Jorge Cantu went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs for the Tigres.

Aguascalientes 12, Tamaulipas 11
The Rieleros won for the 7th consecutive time, beating the Broncos 12-11. The two teams used 15 pitchers in the slugfest with Maximo Nelson (1-1) getting the win for the Rieleros as Roy Corcoran earned his league leading 10th save of the year. Esmailin Caridad (1-1) suffered the loss for the Broncos. Saul Soto hit his 10th and 11th home runs and drove in 7 for the Rieleros. Travis Denker went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and Hector Paez added a home run and 3 RBIs for the Broncos.

Saltillo, 11, Monterrey 10
Refugio Cervantes came through with a walkoff double for the Saraperos to overcome the Sultanes 11-10. Monterrey dropped their 7th straight game. Justin Greene, hitting .446, went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs and Cervantes was 2 for 2 with 4 RBIs for Saltillo. DH Ronny Paulino was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Sultanes as Felix Perez added 2 RBIs on a 2 for 5 night.

Monclova 2, Tijuana 1 (10 innings)
All the scoring in the game took place in the 10th inning. Eduardo Arredondo scored on a single by Miguel Olivo in the top of the 10th for the Toros. The Acereros scored on a wild pitch and a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the inning for the walkoff win. Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Ramon Ramirez (2-1) took the loss while Raul Barron (1-0) was credited with the win. Hector Garanzuay his 1000th hit during the game.

Laguna 5, Mexico 3
Gilberto Galaviz hit a 3 run home run in the 2nd for Laguna and the Vaqueros went on to defeat the Diablos 5-3. Felipe Arredondo (2-1) got the win and Arturo Lopes (3-1) took the loss. Ramon Urias went 2 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for Mexico.

Tabasco 8, Campeche 1
The Olmecas hit 5 home runs, including 2 by Sergio Burruel, to swamp the Piratas 8-1. Campeche scored their lone run in the bottom of the 4th on a ground out by Josh Fields. Burruel was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and Jose Castillo 1 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBIs for Tabasco. Angel Araiza (2-0) got the win while Hector Velazquez (2-1) suffered the defeat.

Veracruz 7, Ciudad del Carmen 3
The 4 runs scored in the 3rd inning carried the Aguilas to a 7-3 win over the Delfines. Oscar Verdugo (2-2) scattered 6 hits over 6 1/3 innings and allowed 1 run to pick up the win and Jose Pina earned the save, getting Henry Rodriguez to fly out to center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th. Oscar Rivera (0-3) took the loss. Adelaido Martinez went 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs for the Vaqueros while David Urias was 2 for 4 with an RBI for del Carmen.

Leones Defeat Acereros del Norte Monclova 7-4

The Leones scored 3 runs in the 2nd inning on a triple by Kevin Flores with the bases loaded and 3 more runs in the 8th inning to defeat the Acereros de Monclova 7-4 in front of 7,975 home town fans Friday night at Parque Kukulkan in Merida.

Monclova started the scoring in the top of the first. Flavio Romero led off the game with a walk and moved to second on a wild throw to first on a pickoff attempt by Leones starter, Jesus Rodriguez. Romero would come around to score on a single by Jose Ruiz that gave the Acereros an early 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Leones loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Willy Aybar, Ivan Araujo and Ricardo Serrano. Kevin Flores worked the count to 2-2 before hitting a shot into the right field corner for a bases clearing triple and the 3-1 Yucatan lead.

Flores Triple courtesy Leones Facebook

Yucatan added to their lead in the bottom of the 7th on a double to right by Jose Aguilar and a run scoring single by Hector Gimenez to give the Leones a 4-1 lead.

Flavio Romero drew a one out walk for Monclova in the top of the 8th. Hector Garanzuay singled and Romero scored on a single by Olmo Rosario. Two batters later Jose Amador singled to drive in Garanzuay and the Acereros had cut the Leones lead to 4-3.

Ricardo Serrano led off the bottom of the 8th inning with a solo home run for Yucatan. Kevin Flores followed with a single and scored in front of a home run by pinch hitter Jesus Valdez that made the score 7-3 Yucatan.

Serrano HR courtesy Leones Facebook

Monclova scored a run in the top of the 9th. Jesus Arredondo drew a lead off base on balls and went to third on a wild pitch and throwing error by Leones reliever Anthony Ortega. Pinch hitter Hector Arredondo was hit by a pitch and Hector Garanzuay followed with a single that scored Jesus Arredondo. The rally fell short when Olmo Rosario hit into a game ending double play and the Leones won 7-4.

Jesus Rodriguez (1-0) was the winning pitcher and Anthony Ortega picked up his first save of the year. Newcomer to the Acereros, Justin Klipp (0-1) suffered the defeat.

Jesus Rodriguez courtesy Leones Facebook

Kevin Flores was 2 for 3 with a triple and 3 RBIs, Ricardo Serrano 3 for 4 with a home run and RBI and Jesus Valdez 1 for 1 with a home run and 2 RBIs for Yucatan. Hector Garanzuay went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Jose Amador was 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Acereros.

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Mexico 14, Oaxaca 2
Mexico scored 14 runs on 14 hits to pound the Guerreros 14-2. Yair Lozoto (2-1) got the win and Luis Mendez (0-1) lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up 8 runs in the loss. DH Ruben Rivera was 2 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored and Jesus Fabela went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 6 RBIs for the Diablos.

Aguascalientes 9, Tabasco 7
The Rieleros scored 7 runs in the 7th inning to overtake the Olmecas 9-7. Saul Soto was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Danny Richar 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs for the Rieleros. For the Olmecas, Jose Castillo went 4 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBIs and Cesar Rodriguez had a home run and 3 RBIs on a 2 for 4 night at the plate.

Saltillo 5, Veracruz 4
The Saraperos got a pinch hit walk off single by Rufino Candelario to beat the Aguilas 5-4. Edwin Salas (1-3) got the win in relief while Jose Marrujo suffered the loss for Veracruz. Luis Terrero was 1 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBIs for Saltillo and Issmael Salas had a double and a home run with 2 RBIs for the Aguilas.

Tamaulipas 6, Campeche 2
The Broncos scored 4 runs in the 2nd inning on their way to a 6-2 win over the Piratas. Francisco Campos (1-3) took the loss for Campeche. Heriberto Rodriguez (1-0) got the win and Hector Navarro the save for the Broncos. Cristhian Presichi and Travis Denker hit home runs for Tamaulipas while Ruben Mateo and Fernando Flores homered for Campeche.

Ciudad del Carmen 6, Monterry 5
The Delfines scored the winning run in the bottom of the 9th on a throwing error by the Sultanes second baseman's attempted force at second. del Carmen had tied the game by scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th with the help of a 3 run home run by Alex Valdez.

Laguna 8, Quintana Roo 1
The vaqueros scored 4 in the 7th and 1 in the 8th to overpower the Tigres 8-1 in Cancun. Luis Rodriguez (2-0) picked up the win while Kelvin de la Cruz fell to 2-1 on the year with the loss. Francisco Mendez was 1 for 3 with a home run and Angel Berroa went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs for Laguna.

Tijuana 2, Puebla 1
Sandy Madera hit a solo home run for the Pericos in the 2nd but it wasn't enough as the Toro's Roman Pena hit a 2 run home run in the bottom of the 8th for the 2-1 final score. Dennys Reyes (3-0) won in relief and Ramon Ramirez picked up his 7th save of the season. Marcos Zavala (0-1) took the loss for Puebla.

Vaqueros Score 3 In 10th To Drop Leones 10-7

The Vaqueros de la Laguna scored a run in the 9th on a single by Diego Madero to tie the game and then hit a triple and 3 consecutive doubles to score 3 runs in the 10th as the Vaqueros took the second game of a three game series against the Leones de Yucatan.

Thursday night's contest started out well for the Leones. They scored 4 times in the bottom of the 1st. After Juan Miranda's double plated Sergio Garcia and JC Linares for the 2-0 Vaquero lead, Corey Wimberly doubled to lead off the Leones half of the inning. Hector Gimenez followed with a one out double to center that scored Wimberly. Three batters later, Willy Aybar walked to load the bases. Israel Nunez singled to score Gimenez. Ricardo Serrano then singled to drive in Jesus Valdez and Aybar and Yucatan was on top 4-2.

Laguna took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 3rd. Singles by Sergio Garcia and JC Linares had men on first and third with one out. Juan Miranda singled to score Garcia. Angel Berroa grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Linares and Santiago Gonzalez doubled to the right field corner to plate Berroa for the Vaqueros lead.

After the Vaqueros added another run in the top of the 6th, Willy Aybar hit a double to lead off the bottom of the 6th for Yucatan and went to third on a single by Ricardo Serrano. Corey Wimberly doubled to drive in Gonzalez and Aybar and Ivan Araujo doubled to plate Wimberly for the 7-6 Leones lead.

Laguna tied the game, 7-7, in the 9th on a double by pinch hitter Jose Orozco and a single by Diego Madero, leading to the Vaqueros extra base hitting barrage in the 10th. With one out, Angel Berroa tripled. Following a pitching change for the Leones, Santiago Gonzalez doubled to drive in Berroa. Gilberto Galavis doubled to plate Gonzalez and Eduardo Gonzalez doubled to drive in Galavis as Laguna retook the lead 10-7.

Tony Pena Jr. set the Leones down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th to pick up his 4th save of the year and preserve the win for Vaquero's relief pitcher Johan Yan (1-1). Anthony Ortega (1-1) was charged with his 2nd blown save took the loss for Yucatan.

Corey Wimberly was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored and Ricardo Serrano went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs in the loss for Yucatan.

9 of the 16 hits for the Vaqueros went for extra bases, eight doubles and one triple. Juan Miranda went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs, Santiago Gonzalez 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs, JC Linares 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and Angel Berroa 1 for 5 with a triple and an RBI.

IN OTHER LMB ACTION

Mexico 6, Puebla 5
The Diablos got home runs from Japhet Amador and Ruben Rivera on the way to a 6-5 win over the Pericos. Carlos Vazquez (2-0) got the win with Juan Sandoval earning the save. David Dominguez (0-1) was charged with a blown save and took the loss.

Tabasco 9, Saltillo 7
The Olmecas took the lead for good in the 8th inning and held off the Saraperos 9-7 in Saltillo. Luis Durango went 3 for 6 with 3 RBIs for Tabasco. DH Refugio Cervantes was 1 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Saraperos. Cesar Valdez (3-0) went 8 innings to pick up the win for the Olmecas while Edwin Salas (0-3) took the loss.

Veracruz 6, Aguascalientes 5
Esmailis Caridad (1-0) got the win in relief for the Aguilas as Victor Marte earned his 3rd save. Julian Arballo (2-2) suffered the loss for the Rieleros. Issmael Salas was 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Veracruz while Carlos Orrantia had a home run and 2 RBIs for the Rieleros.

Monclova 8, Quintana Roo 2
The Acereros hit 4 home runs in the game to overpower the Tigres 8-2. Juan Pena (3-0) picked up his third win of the year and Ivan Maldonado (1-1) took the loss. Olmo Rosario went 4 for 4 with a home run, 3 RBIs and 3 Runs scored for Monclova.

Ciudad del Carmen 5, Tamaulipas 0
Demetrio Gutierrez (2-1) and 2 relievers scattered 9 Broncos hits in the 5-0 shutout. Joel Vargas (0-2) took the loss. David Urias went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Delfines.

Monterrey 6, Campeche 4
The Sultanes had 14 hits, including a pinch hit 2 run home run by Edgar Quintere in the 8th inning to top the Piratas. Roberto Lopez homered for Campeche. Luis Vizcaino (1-0) got the win and Hassan Pena his 4th save of the year. Riardo Gomez (0-1) took the loss.

Oaxaca 11, Tijuana 8
The Guerreros scored 7 times in the 2nd inning and held on to beat the Toros 11-8. Erick Rodriguez was 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored for Oaxaca. Tijuana got home runs from Roman Pena and Miguel Olivo in the loss.

Leones de Yucatan Down Vaqueros de la Laguna 10-5

The Leones sent 11 men to the plate in the 6th inning and 7 of them scored as they swept past Laguna on their way to a 10-5 win at home.

Alejandro Astorga (2-1) walked 4 Vaqueros and struck out 5 in six innings on the mound to get the win for the Leones while Yeiper Castillo (0-1) was charged with the loss.

Jose Orozco led off the game for the Vaqueros and one out later scored on a double to right by JC Linares as Laguna took an early 1-0 lead.

Yucatan tied the score in the bottom of the 2nd when Luis Garcia doubled to center, advanced to third on a single by Jesus Valdez and scored on a sac fly by Willi Aybar.

With two outs in the Leones half of the 6th inning, Jose Aguilar was hit by a pitch and Hector Gimenez drew a 5 pitch walk. Following a pitching change for the Vaqueros, Luis Garcia singled to score Aguilar for the Leones first lead of the game. Jesus Valdez then singled to score Gimenez. Willy Aybar singled. Kevin Flores walked to score Garcia and the bases remained loaded. Ricardo Serrano doubled to drive in Valdez and Aybar. Israel Nunez singled to score Flores and Serrano. When the dust had cleared, Yucatan had an 8-1 lead.

The Leones upped their lead to 10-1 in the bottom of the 7th with a run scoring single by Willy Aybar and a bases loaded walk to Ricardo Serrano.

Laguna mounted a comeback in the top of the 8th inning. Jose Orozco led off the inning with a double. Juan Miranda and Angel Berroa walked and Francisco Mendez made the Leones pay by hitting a grand slam  to right to get the Vaqueros to within four runs at 10-6. The rally fell short as Said Gutierrez flew out to right to end the inning.

The Vaqueros put two men on in the 9th but were unable to score as Oscar Harper hit into a 5U-3 double play to end the game.

Willy Aybar went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, Jesus Valdez was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and Luis Garcia was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Leones.

Jose Orozco was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored while DH Francisco Mendez went 2 for 4 with the grand slam and 4 RBIs for Laguna.

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Mexico 6, Puebla 4 (10 innings)
Ruben Rivera hit a 2 run walk off home run in the bottom of the 10th as the Diablos beat the Pericos 6-4. Ivan Terrazas also homered for Mexico. Albert Carreon and Sandy Madera hit home runs for Puebla.

Tabasco 7, Saltillo 4 (13 innings)
The Olmecas scored 3 times in the top of the 13th and Yosshel Hurtado (1-0) shut down the Saraperos over the final two innings to get the win. Luis Durango was 4 for 6 with 3 runs scored for Tabasco. Christian Zazueta went 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored for Saltillo.

Aguascalientes 12, Veracruz 5
The Rieleros scored 12 runs on 10 hits to beat the Aguilas 12-5. Domingo Castro was 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs and Jesus Castillo went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Aguascalientes. Issmael Salas was 2 for 4 with a home run and Jeremias Pinedo went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs for Veracruz.

Quintana Roo 5, Monclova 4 (11 innings)
The Tigres got a lead off walk off home run by Justin Christian to beat the Acereros 5-4 in 11 innings. Christian was 2 for 6 on the night while Jorge Cantu went 4 for 5 for the Tigres. Jose Amador went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs for Monclova.

Ciudad del Carmen 4, Tamaulipas 3 (10 innings)
The Delfines used a walk off hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Broncos 4-3. Alex Valdez was 2 for 3 with a home run for del Carmen. Randy Ruiz went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs for Tamaulipas.

Campeche 7, Monterrey 2
The Piratas scored 4 times in the bottom of the 7th to pull away from the Sultanes in the 7-2 victory. Paul Leon was 3 for 4 and Dave Sappelt 2 for 5 for Campeche. Asael Sanchez went 2 for 4 for Monterrey.

Oaxaca 8, Tijuana 2
Alejandro Soto (1-0) went 6 innings, giving up just 1 run on 2 hits as the Guerreros topped the Toros 8-2. Terance Marin (1-1) took the loss. Mario Valenzuela was 2 for 3 with a home run and 5 RBIs on the night for Oaxaca. Miguel Olivo was 1 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs for Tijuana.

Leones Drop Home town Sultanes 6-1

Jon Leicester improved to 3-0 on the year, throwing 5 1/3 innings of 2 hit ball, allowing just 1 run and striking out 4 as the Leones de Yucatan bested the Sultanes de Monterrey in front of 6,932 fans at the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. Four Leones relievers shut down the Sultanes over the last 3 2/3 innings.

Jon Leicester courtesy Leones Facebook

Jose Aguilar got the ball rolling for Yucatan in the top of the 1st by hammering a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left, giving the Leones a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the 4th inning, Jose Valdez hit a solo home run to left with one out to increase the Yucatan lead to 2-0.

Jose Valdez HR courtesy Leones Facebook

Monterrey cut the lead to 2-1 in their half of the 4th. With two outs, Agustin Murillo reached base safely on a fielding error by the Leones third baseman, stole second and scored on a single to center by max Ramirez that put the Sultanes on the board.

Israel Nunez led off the top of the 5th for Yucatan with a single to left. Edson Garcia followed with a single and the Leones had runners on first and second with no outs. Jose Aguilar followed one out later with a 3 run home run that plated Nunez and Corey Wimberly. Hector Gimenez doubled  to center and scored on a ground out by Luis Garcia to give the Leones their final margin of victory, 6-1.

Jose Aguilar was 3 for 5 with the home, 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Hector Gimenez went 2 for 5 and Jose Valdez was 2 for 4 with a home run for the Leones while Max Ramirez was 1 for 4 with an RBI for the Sultanes.

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Aguascalientes 3, Oaxaca 1
Lorenzo Barcelo (2-1) gave up 1 run over 6 full innings on the mound to get the win for the Rieleros and Roy Corcoran picked up his 4th save of the year in the 3-1 win over the Guerreros. Danny Richar was 2 for 3 for the Rieleros and Mario Valenzuela was 2 for 4 with a run scored for Oaxaca.

Saltillo 4, Puebla 1
Luis Terrero went 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs for the Saraperos in their 4-1 victory over the Pericos. Christian Zazueta was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Alberto Carreon tripled in the 1st and scored on a sac fly by Fernando Alejos for the only Puebla run of the game. Juan Espinoza (1-0) went 7 innings for the win.

Monclova 5, Campeche 4
The Acereros scored twice in the bottom of the 8th to take a 5-3 lead and worked out of a two out bases loaded jam in the top of the 9th to beat the Piratas and improve to 7-4 on the season. Antonio Lamas went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Monclova. Josh Lowery went 8 innings on the hill to get the win and Waldis Joaquin picked up his 3rd save of the year.

Tamaulipas 7, Quintana Roo 2
The Broncos scored 4 runs in the 4th and 3 more times in the 8th to top the Tigres 7-4. Cole Garner had a 2 for 3 night with a home run and 3 RBIs and Travis Denker went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs for the Broncos. Paul Oseguera (1-0) got the win while Jarrett Grube (2-1) suffered his 1st loss of the year.

Veracruz 4, Tijuana 3
The Aguilas del Rojos scored 3 times in the bottom of the 7th to defeat the Toros de Tijuana 4-3 in front of 2,625 home fans. Jose Pina (2-1) picked up the win and Victor Marte notched his 1st save. Eder Salcedo went 2 for 3 for the Aguilas while Romad Pena homered and drove in 2 for the Toros.

Ciudad del Carmen 8, Laguna 2
The Delfines scored 7 runs in the first 4 innings on their way to an 8-2 victory over the Vaqueros. Gilberto Mejia had a triple with 2 RBIs on a 3 for 4 night at the plate and Ruben Mateo was 3 for 4 for the Delfines. Mario Gonzalez (2-0) got the win while Ivan Zavala (1-1) took the loss.

Tabasco 5, Mexico 4
The Olmecas scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th, including s 2 run, walk off triple by Daniel Nunez to lead Tabasco to a 5-4 win over the Diablos Rojos. Nunez was 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs for Tabasco while Ivan Terrazas went 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Mexico. Luis Ayala (1-0) picked up the win in relief and Juan Sandoval (0-1) suffered his 2nd blown save and took the loss.