Ponce, Santurce & Carolina win in LBPRC

Santurce Crabbers catcher Brian Navarreto playing for the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp earlier this year. Navarreto’s two-run single in the fifth inning gave Santurce a commanding 7-0 lead over the Caguas Criollos on Sunday in Caguas. (Wikipedia)

By THE STAR STAFF

The Ponce Lions, Santurce Crabbers and Carolina Giants all notched victories Sunday night in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC by its initials in Spanish).

A home run by Chris Arroyo led the Lions (Leones) to a 2-1 shutout victory over the San Juan Senators.

The Lions improved to 2-1 with their second consecutive win. The Senators (Senadores) remained winless in four outings.

Arroyo’s homer cleared the left-field fence with William Simoneit on base, putting the Lions up 2-0 against Senators starter Jarrod Cande in the top of the third inning.

San Juan scored its lone run after Lions left-hander Omar Meléndez got into trouble. With two outs, Yariel González doubled. Roby Enríquez and Jadiel Sánchez drew walks, loading the bases for the Senators. Then, José Sermo drew the third walk of the inning, advancing González home to make the score 2-1.

Right-hander Bryant Salgado (1-0) earned the win for the Lions, pitching five solid innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. His teammate Andrew Marrero recorded his first save of the season, striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. The loss went to Cande (0-1) after surrendering Ponce’s runs in three innings.

In another game, the Crabbers (Cangrejeros) defeated the Caguas Criollos 7-3 at Yldefonso Solá Morales Stadium in Caguas.

Santurce remained undefeated in its first three games, while Caguas suffered its third loss in as many outings.

It was a game marked by wild pitching on the part of Caguas, whose hurlers issued five walks and hit four batters.

The Crabbers erupted in the top of the fourth inning, collecting five of their eight hits against the Criollos’ erratic starter Harrison Francis. After retiring the first batter of the inning, Francis hit Roy Morales with a pitch, and Rubén Castro reached first base on a fielder’s choice. Santurce center fielder Johneshwy Fargas connected for the first hit, putting runners on the corners, and Shed Long Jr. drove in both with a single that made the score 2-0.

Francis’ troubles continued on the mound after he hit another batter, this time catcher Brian Navarreto. Andrew Velázquez followed with a ground ball that landed just shy of the foul line between home plate and first base. As this was happening, Long Jr. crossed home plate for a 3-0 lead. The Crabbers kept hitting as Jeremy Arocho drove in another run off Francis, and another RBI by Brian Rey -- off reliever Magdiel Cotto -- extended Santurce’s lead to 5-0.

The fifth inning was much the same. Cotto walked two of the three batters he faced before being relieved by Marvin Gorgas. The right-hander promptly allowed a two-run single by Navarreto, and Santurce took a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Criollos broke the deadlock in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly to left field by Bryan González, making it 7-1. In the following inning, the Criollos’ Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run shot over the left-field fence, bringing the score to 7-3.

The win went to starter Austin Bergner (1-0), who pitched five scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed only two hits, issued two walks and struck out six. The loss was charged to Francis (0-1), who surrendered five runs in three and two-thirds innings.

The Giants, meanwhile, remained undefeated by defeating the Mayagüez Indians 4-2 at Isidoro “Cholo” García Stadium in Mayagüez.

A line drive over second base gave the Giants (Gigantes) their first run, with Yasser Mercedes scoring in the fourth inning. Mercedes had reached base after drawing a walk to start the inning. Two at-bats later, Deniel Ortiz drove in Carolina’s second run, prompting the removal of Indians starter Josimar Cousin. Veteran reliever Héctor Hernández struck out Josh Hatcher before a sacrifice fly by Ryuta Hirose made it 3-0.

In the bottom of the inning, Indians (Indios) shortstop Isan Díaz hit his first home run of the season to make the score 3-1.

After Mayagüez loaded the bases in the sixth inning, a ground ball for a force out by pinch hitter Héctor Reyes scored the second run of the game.

Two innings later, a single by Abimelec Ortiz to right field drove in Carolina’s fourth run.

The win went to José Cruz (1-0) for his one-third of an inning of relief. Right-hander Eduardo Rivera was awarded the save. The loss went to Cousin (0-1), who allowed Carolina’s first three runs in three innings.

Carolina completed the first weekend of the LBPRC season at 3-0. Mayagüez fell to 2-2.