After more than 50 years, it’s Lions vs Crabbers again in LBPRC finals

The Ponce Lions held off the Carolina Giants on Saturday to advance to the Puerto Rico winter league baseball finals, where they’ll face the Santurce Crabbers for the first time in five-plus decades.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Ponce Lions and the Santurce Crabbers will face each other in the Puerto Rico winter league baseball finals for the first time since 1973.

Ponce defeated the Carolina Giants 4-3 and Santurce topped the Caguas Criollos 6-1 on Saturday to wrap up their respective semifinal series in six games and set the stage for the best-of-seven title series in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC by its initials in Spanish).

Santurce won that most recent finals meeting 53 years ago, in six games.

The 2025-26 LBPRC finals open this Tuesday at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Hato Rey, home of the Crabbers (Cangrejeros), with Game 2 on Wednesday at the same site. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.

In Semifinal Series B on Saturday night at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium in Carolina, Ponce left-hander Brady Tedesco was dominant on the mound, striking out seven and allowing only two hits over six innings to earn his second postseason victory.

In a game largely characterized by solid pitching, the first four Lions (Leones) players to reach base did so via walks and a hit-by-pitch. Ponce catcher Sammy Hernández broke the spell when he hit the first single in the top of the fourth inning. The hit prompted the removal of Giants (Gigantes) starter Jonathan Bermúdez from the game and Eddy Reynoso came on in relief. With runners on first and second, the right-hander retired the next two batters -- Will Simoneit and Matt Batten -- to end the threat.

The Lions scored their first run in the same way they did in the fifth game of Semifinal Series B, with a long home run. This time designated hitter Alex Dickerson went deep to right field in the sixth inning. The Giants threatened two innings later when Sabin Ceballos drew a walk to start the bottom of the eighth and advanced to second on a throwing error by Ponce first baseman Simoneit. However, Rookie of the Year Eric Torres struck out Miguel Pabón and Gabriel Cancel to end the inning.

The Lions scored three runs to go up 4-0 in the top of the ninth inning on a pair of fielding errors by Carolina combined with key hits by Aldemar Burgos, Dalton Guthrie and Jesmuel Valentín.

A three-run home run by Félix Stevens off Reliever of the Year Andrew Marrero brought the Giants within a run in the bottom of the ninth before the right-hander struck out pinch-hitter Ezequiel Pagán to seal the victory.

Osvaldo Berríos (0-1) took the loss, allowing the Lions’ first run in his two and two-thirds innings of work. He struck out three.

Meanwhile, a grand slam by Brian Navarreto in the 13th inning broke open a pitching contest and lifted the Crabbers over the Criollos in Game 6 of Semifinal Series A at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium in Caguas.

After both teams scored a run in the 12th inning to break a scoreless tie, Jeremy Arocho led off the top of the 13th with a line drive to center field. Criollos right-hander Nicholas Padilla then retired Edwin Ríos on a ground ball and gave up a single to Yohandy Morales, putting runners on the corners for Santurce. Padilla was relieved by Christian Torres. Then, Shed Long Jr. singled to give the Crabbers a 2-1 lead. In the next at-bat, Rubén Castro hit another single to load the bases and set the stage for Navarreto’s home run deep to left field.

The win went to Miguel Mejía (1-0) after allowing one run in two innings pitched. The right-hander gave up three hits and struck out two. The loss went to Torres (0-1) after