The first day of the semi-finals.  Wheeler wheels home with the winning run.  A comeback falls short for Navojoa.

HERMOSILLO 6, LOS MOCHIS 5 IN LOS MOCHIS

Los Mochis:  Ramon Orantes was 2-for-4 with a run.  Emmanuel Avila was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Hector Neris (Philadelphia) struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.

Hermosillo:  Zelous Wheeler was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jonathan Aceves was 2-for-4 with a run.  Jerry Owens was 2-for-5 with a run.

The game:  Los Mochis got RBI singles by Orantes and Brian Burgamy in the first inning to go ahead 2-0.  Hermosillo came back in the bottom of the first on Wheeler's run-scoring double and a pair of sacrifice flies to go ahead 3-2.  Los Mochis took the lead right back in the second, getting two runs without a hit on a strikeout/passed ball, an error, a stolen base, a runs-scoring ground out, and a wild pitch.  Los Mochis added a run in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Juan Carlos Gamboa (Mets), but Hermosillo tied it in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Jose Aguilar and a wild pitch.  It remained tied until the seventh, when Daryle Ward doubled in Wheeler with the go-ahead run.  The last eight Los Mochis batters were retired.

MEXICALI 7, NAVOJOA 5 IN MEXICALI

Navojoa:  Rolando Acosta was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, driving in two.  John Lindsey was 2-for-3 with two walks and a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Wes Bankston was 2-for-5.

Mexicali:  Gil Velazquez was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Brad Snyder (Texas) was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run (his fourth), driving in two.  Edgar Osuna pitched five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Acosta's two-run single in the first put Navojoa ahead 2-0.  Mexicali came back with three in the second on a run-scoring double by Chris Roberson and a two-run double by Oscar Robles.  Snyder doubled in a run in the third and Snyder homered in the fifth to give Mexicali a 5-2 lead.  Velazquez doubled in two insurance runs in the eighth and they were needed, as Novojoa struck for three in the ninth.  The tying run was at bat with two out, but a strikeout ended the game.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Hermosillo leads Los Mochis one game to none.
Mexicali leads Navojoa one game to none.