The Águilas Cibaeñas defeated the Tigres del Licey on Friday night with a score of 4-3 in the match held at the Cibao stadium in the continuation of the winter baseball tournament.
Closer Jairo Asencio blew a one-lap lead after the homer with one on board by Emilio Bonifacio in the eighth inning.
Naftalí Feliz was credited with the triumph in the relief role. Asencio lost by conceding the two winning rounds of the eagles.
For the Blues it was their 15th loss with the same number of victories. With their triumph, the Eagles go on to occupy second place alone with a record of 16-14.
The Bengali took control of the game at the top of the third inning off starts from Ramon Rosso. Dawel Lugo reached on an error from shortstop. Emilio Bonifacio delivered the first pop out to the pitcher. Sergio Alcantara singled into center field, but Lugo was put out on the play at the plate. Chris Owings hit an RBI unstoppable to left scoring Alcantara from the second pad on the first blue lap.
The Cibaeños equalized the score at 1-1 in the sixth against starter Brandon Lawson on a single by Orlando Calixte. The first runner moved to second on a passed ball from the blue catcher. Leody Taveras failed with a ground run through intermediate reaching Calixte to the anteroom from where he scored on a sacrifice fly to Juan Lagares’s central forest.
The Blues reawakened their offense at the top of the eighth inning against reliever Wandy Peralta. After one out, Lugo fired the Tigers’ first hit from the third inning when Chris Owings did so by pushing in the first round indigo. Luis Barrera ran for Lugo. Emilio Bonifacio homered down the left to make the game 3-1, in favor of Licey.
The harriers threatened seriously in the bottom of the eighth but fell short by scoring just one round despite having bases loaded with no outs. But then they manufactured their two laps in the ninth.
For the Tigers, Emilio Bonifacio hit his home run; Sergio Alcántara had two hits; Chris Owings and Dawel Lugo, a hit.
For the Eagles, Orlando Calixte hit two hits; Ramón Torres had two hits; Daniel Santana, Melky Cabrera, Juan Lagares, Luis Valenzuela and Ramón Torres, an unstoppable.
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