Defending champs, 5 other teams sweep into Double-A sectional finals.

The Azucareros of Yabucoa scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by a walkoff two-run double by Alexis Rodríguez Sepúlveda, to sweep the Grises of Humacao and advance to the Southeast section finals.

By THE STAR STAFF

Six teams completed 3-0 sweeps in their respective Superior Double-A Baseball League sectional semifinal series on Sunday.

The defending champion Mulos of Juncos, along with the Azucareros of Yabucoa, Toritos of Cayey, Gigantes of Carolina, Maratonistas of Coamo and Petateros of Sabana Grande, punched their tickets to the sectional finals.

In the East section, the Mulos eliminated the Cariduros of Fajardo with a 2-1 victory, thanks to a combined pitching effort from Dereck Rodríguez, Francisco López and Kenny Burgos.

Meanwhile, the Guerrilleros of Río Grande avoided a sweep by defeating the Artesanos de Las Piedras 8-6, snapping the Artesanos’ nine-game winning streak. Nelson Gómez and Randy Ventura each drove in two runs for Río Grande.

In the Southeast section, the Azucareros dramatically walked off the Grises of Humacao with a 6-5 victory to complete their sweep. Yabucoa scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, highlighted by a game-winning two-run double from Alexis Rodríguez Sepúlveda.

Elsewhere in the Southeast, the Jueyeros of Maunabo successfully defended their home field once again, taking a 2-1 lead in their series with a 4-1 win over the Leones of Patillas, backed by 8.1 innings pitched by young Luisiel Rivera.

In the Central section, the Toritos prevailed 9-1 to eliminate the Bravos of Cidra, powered by a brilliant relief performance from Juan Berríos and a home run by Iván de Jesús. In the same section, the Criollos of Caguas, powered by home runs from Roberto Peña, Javier Ortiz and Miguel Vega, avoided a sweep by defeating the Pescadores del Plata of Comerío, 8-4, halting Pescadores’ 12-game winning streak.

In the Metro section, the Gigantes eliminated the Lancheros of Cataño with an 8-6 victory, led by three RBIs from Alexis Torres. Meanwhile, the Maceteros of Vega Alta showed signs of life with a commanding 12-0 shutout over the Guardianes of Dorado, backed by the pitching tandem of Loidis Cubano and Rey Pérez. Yordany Salvá hit two home runs, and José Feliciano added another.

In the South section, the Maratonistas scored seven runs in the seventh inning and went on to defeat the Brujos of Guayama 12-11 in 10 innings, advancing to the sectional final. Luis Rodríguez and Fernando Amaro each drove in two runs.

In the same section, the Peces Voladores of Salinas bounced back with a 3-2 victory over the Poetas of Juana Díaz, bolstered by five scoreless innings from Joseph Guzmán and a home run by Joek Rivera.

In the Southwest section, the Petateros secured their spot in the finals by dominating the Piratas of Cabo Rojo 14-7, powered by four RBIs from Jancarlos Aponte. Meanwhile, the Cafeteros of Yauco routed the Petroleros of Peñuelas 13-3, thanks to three RBIs by Odrick Pitre and Mathew Rentas’ 6.1 solid innings on the mound. Yauco now leads the series 2-1.

In the North section, the Arenosos of Camuy responded with a decisive 12-2 victory over the Titanes of Florida, driven by six RBIs from Luis Mateo and six strong innings from Juan Caballero. The Titanes lead the series, 2-1. Additionally, the Tigres of Hatillo took a 2-1 lead in their series by crushing the Atenienses of Manatí 14-4, highlighted by two home runs from Jay Feliciano and 6.2 innings from Rawell Rivera.

In the Northwest, the Libertadores of Hormigueros took a 2-1 lead in their semifinal series by shutting out the Tiburones of Aguadilla, 3-0, thanks to a pitching gem by Ramón Rodríguez, who tossed a complete game with seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits. Kelvin Pérez hit a home run and drove in two runs for Hormigueros.

Game 3 of the Northwest Semifinal A series between the Fundadores of Añasco and the Patrulleros of San Sebastián was suspended due to rain in the first inning -- with Añasco leading 1-0 -- at Juan José “Tití” Beníquez Stadium. The game was to resume Monday at 7:30 p.m.