Ponce & Caguas even up their respective LBPRC semifinal series

Dalton Guthrie drove in two runs with a pair of singles as the Ponce Lions evened their LBPRC semifinal series against the Carolina Giants with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.

By STAR STAFF

The Ponce Lions and the Caguas Criollos secured victories on Wednesday night to even their respective Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC by its initials in Spanish) semifinal series.

Center fielder Dalton Guthrie hit two RBI singles to lead the Ponce Lions to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Giants at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium in Carolina, tying Semifinal Series B at 2-2.

The B semifinal series has seen both teams earn their victories on the road.

Leadoff man Guthrie led the way for the Lions (Leones), going 2-for-5. He scored one of Ponce’s three runs.

With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the seventh inning, the Lions’ Matt Batten led off with a double to right field. Aldemar Burgos sacrificed Batten to second, and Guthrie drove him in to put the Lions ahead, 2-1. Ponce picked up an insurance run on a base hit by Jesmuel Valentín.

After a scoreless eighth inning, the Giants (Gigantes) put runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth with no outs against right-handed reliever Andrew Marrero. Ezequiel Pagán grounded into a double play, driving in Isán Díaz for Carolina’s second run. Marrero then bore down and struck out Jan Hernández to seal the victory and earn his second save of the postseason. Marrero worked one and two-thirds innings, allowing one run, one hit, and striking out one.

Left-hander Brandon Kaminer (1-0) earned the win in one-third of an inning of relief work, while Raymond Burgos (0-1) suffered the loss after two runs were charged to his account in one-third of an inning.

Ponce scored its first run in the top of the fifth against reliever Sandy Gaston, who had replaced R.J. Martínez on the mound. The right-hander opened the inning by hitting Batten with a pitch, who then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Burgos and scored on a single by Guthrie.

The Giants evened the score in the sixth. Catcher Miguel Pabón hit a double to start the inning and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Gabriel Cancel. Then, three batters later, Díaz drove in Pabón with a single to center field.

In Caguas, meanwhile, a single by catcher Onix Vega in the sixth inning helped the Criollos secure a 4-2 victory over the Santurce Crabbers at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium.

With that result, Semifinal Series A was also tied at 2-2.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Vega drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single to center field after Vimael Machín had reached on a base hit.

The eighth inning also belonged to the Criollos. A hit by Bryan Torres, combined with an error by Crabbers (Cangrejeros) first baseman Yohandy Morales, allowed the hosts to score their fourth and final run of the game.

Vega was one of the top hitters for Caguas, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Nelson Velázquez followed, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Torres went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

The win went to Duane Underwood, Jr. (1-0), who pitched a scoreless inning, striking out one batter. Yacksel Ríos earned his second save of the series, while Andrew Baker (1-1) took the loss after allowing one run in one and one-third innings.

Santurce opened the scoring in the third inning when Jeremy Arocho drove in Johneshwy Fargas. Two innings later, the Crabbers’ Jack López homered to deep left field to make it 2-0.

Caguas answered in the bottom of the fifth when Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run double to even the score.