Winter Wonderland: Games of January 2

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

MARGARITA 6, LARA 4 IN LARA

Lara scored one in the second, but Margarita came back with four in the third to take control of the game.  Margarita led 6-1 before a three-run eighth got Lara back into the game, but they could not get the tying run on base.  Omar Bencomo pitched six innings for Margarita, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Cesar Puello was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer for Margarita.

Margarita leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

LA GUAIRA 5, ANZOATEGUI 2 IN ANZOATEGUI

Leading 1-0, La Guaira scored four in the third and never trailed.  Kelvin De La Cruz pitched 5.1 innings for La Guaira, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Jose Castillo was 3-for-4 with two strikeouts for La Guaira.

La Guaira leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

ZULIA 6, ARAGUA 3 IN ZULIA

Jesus' Flores RBI triple in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie for Zulia.  He scored an insurance run later in the inning and Zulia added two in the eighth.  Aragua scored once in the ninth and had the tying run up to bat before falling.  Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-4 with a home run for Aragua.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Zulia.  Wilfredo Boscan pitched five innings for Zulia, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

GIGANTES 4, ESCOGIDO 3 IN ESCOGIDO

The Gigantes led 4-0 after three and held on.  Escogido scored three in the seventh and had the tying run on third base in the seventh, eighth, and ninth.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with a walk for Escogido.  Cory Riordan pitched five shutout innings for the Gigantes, giving up three hits and no walks with one strikeout.  Leury Garcia hit a home run for the Gigantes.

AGUILAS 2, LICEY 1 AT AGUILAS

Rafael Ynoa's RBI single in the eighth broke a 1-1 tie.  Danny Santana was 1-for-1 with a double for the Aguilas.  Roenis Elias struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and four walks for the Aguilas.  Juan Perez was 3-for-4 for the Aguilas.  Johan Camargo hit a home run for the Aguilas.

STANDINGS

Aguilas, 4-1
Licey, 2-2
Gigantes, 1-2
Escogido, 1-3

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

NAVOJOA 4, MEXICALI 2 IN NAVOJOA

Jesus Castillo's three-run double in the third gave Navojoa a lead it would not relinquish.  Mexicali closed to 3-2 in the fourth but got no closer, and Navojoa scored an insurance run in the sixth.  Hector Velazquez struck out seven in 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk for Navojoa.

Navojoa leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

CULIACAN 6, HERMOSILLO 3 IN CULIACAN

Leading 2-1, Culiacan rallied for four in the eighth, capped by a two-run double by Ramiro Pena, to put the game out of reach.  Daniel Rodriguez pitched six innings for Culiacan, giving up one run on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  Maxwell Leon was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Culiacan.

Culiacan leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

LOS MOCHIS 2, MAZATLAN 1 IN LOS MOCHIS (11 INNINGS)

Sebastian Valle hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the eleventh.  Roy Merritt struck out nine in 6.2 innings for Los Mochis, giving up an unearned run on six hits and no walks.

Los Mochis leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.