VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 5, LARA 2 IN ZULIA

Jose Pirela hit a two-run homer in the first and Zulia led all the way.  Mitch Lively pitched seven innings for Zulia, giving up one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Zulia wins the best-of-seven series 4-1 and wins the Venezuelan League Championship.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 5, AGUILAS 2 IN LICEY

Leading 1-0, Licey scored four in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Yamaico Navarro hit a solo homer and Mel Rojas hit a two-run homer in the inning.  Danny Santana was 0-for-3 with a walk for the Aguilas.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-4 for the Aguilas.  Evan MacLane pitched seven shutout innings for Licey, giving up four hits and no walks with two strikeouts.  Emilio Bonifacio was 3-for-4 for Licey.

Licey leads the best-of-nine series 4-2.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 6, SANTURCE 5 IN CAGUAS (12 INNINGS)

With two out and no one on in the twelfth, David Vidal reached on a two-base error and scored on Henry Ramos' single to win the game and the series.  Orlando Roman pitched 4.2 innings for Caguas, giving up one run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Ricardo Gomez retired all eleven men he faced for Caguas, striking out six.  Ramos was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk, scoring twice.

Caguas wins the best-of-nine series 5-3 and wins the Puerto Rican League Championship.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 6, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN MEXICALI

Jason Bourgeois hit a two-run single in a three-run fifth that put Mexicali up 4-0 and left them in control of the game.  Javier Solano pitched 6.2 innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Bourgeois was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

BRISBANE 8, CANBERRA 5 IN CANBERRA

Trent Oeltjen hit a three-run homer in a four-run fifth that put Brisbane ahead 4-1.  They never led by less than three after that.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs and is batting .352 for Brisbane.  Logan Wade was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run for Brisbane.  Rick Teasley pitched six innings for Brisbane, giving up two runs on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

SYDNEY 5, ADELAIDE 4 IN ADELAIDE

Sydney scored two in the fifth on a bases-loaded force out to take a 5-3 lead.  Adelaide got one back in the bottom of the fifth but only got one hit after that.  Todd Van Steensel struck out two in a scoreless inning for Sydney, giving up a hit and a walk.  Jacob Younis was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.

*Games played January 26.  It's timey-wimey.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 8, LARA 7 IN ZULIA (10 INNINGS--COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME)

Well, that didn't take long.  When we left this game yesterday, it was 7-7 and Zulia had men on first and third with two out in the bottom of the tenth.  The first batter once the game was resumed, Ali Castillo, singled to bring home the winning run.  Carlos Hernandez struck out seven in 6.2 innings for Zulia, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks.  Mario Lisson and Ronny Cedeno each homered for Zulia.

Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 3-0.

LARA 3, ZULIA 1 IN ZULIA (SCHEDULED GAME--11 INNINGS)

Ildemaro Vargas delivered a two-out two-run single in the eleventh to keep Lara alive.  Omar Bencomo pitched five innings for Lara, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Denis Phipps was 4-for-5 with a double and a run for Lara.  Carlos Rivero hit a home run for Lara.

Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 3-1.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 7, AGUILAS 0 AT AGUILAS

Juan Francisco homered to start a three-run Licey second and that was all they needed.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-3 for the Aguilas.  Danny Santana was 0-for-4 for the Aguilas.  Cesar Valdez pitched 6.1 scoreless innings for Licey, giving up three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Donovan Solano was 3-for-5 with a double and a run for Licey.  Francisco was 3-for-5 and also had a double, driving in three.

Licey leads the best-of-nine series 3-2.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.  Caguas leads the best-of-nine series over Santurce 4-3.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

LOS MOCHIS 6, MEXICALI 5 IN MEXICALI (11 INNINGS)

Los Mochis scored four in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead, but Mexicali got three in the eighth to tie it 4-4.  Saul Soto's two-run single in the eleventh put Los Mochis up 6-4.  Mexicali got one in the bottom of the eleventh and had the tying run on base with none out, but could not advance him past second.  Leandro Castro was 2-for-5 with a double and a walk for Los Mochis, scoring once and driving in one.  Roy Merritt pitched seven innings for Los Mochis, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Los Mochis leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

LARA 7, ZULIA 7 (10 INNINGS--SUSPENDED)

Zulia led 4-0 after two, but needed a homer by Mario Lisson in the eighth to tie it 5-5.  Lara got two in the top of the tenth, but Zulia got two in the bottom of the tenth to re-tie the score.  When the game was suspended, Zulia was still batting in the bottom of the tenth with two out and runners on first and third.  Ali Castillo is the next scheduled batter for Zulia.  The pitcher is Hassan Pena, although Lara could obviously make a change.

The game will be completed prior to tonight's regularly scheduled game.  Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 2-0, so the series could possibly end tonight.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.  Licey and the Aguilas are tied 2-2 in the best-of-nine series.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.  Caguas leads the best-of-nine series 4-3 over Santurce.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.  Los Mochis and Mexicali are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

GAMES OF JANUARY 21

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 11, LARA 1 IN LARA

Zulia scored three in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead and it was not close after that.  Wil Ledezma pitched six innings for Zulia, giving up one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Zulia leads the best of seven series, 2-0.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 11, LICEY 4 AT AGUILAS

The Aguilas led 3-2 half-way through, but scored three in the fifth and five in the sixth to turn it into a blowout.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk for the Aguilas.  Danny Santana was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs for the Aguilas.

The Aguilas lead the best-of-nine series 2-1.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 12, SANTURCE 1 IN CAGUAS

Caguas got two in the second, four in the fifth, and six in the eighth.  Andrew Barbosa pitched five shutout innings for Caguas, giving up two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  David Vidal was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Caguas.  Rusney Castillo hit a two-run homer for Caguas.

The best-of-nine series is tied 3-3.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

LOS MOCHIS 3, MEXICALI 1 IN LOS MOCHIS

J. C. Linares hit a two-run homer in the first and that was all Los Mochis needed.  Leandro Castro was 0-for-3 for Los Mochis.  Julian Arballo struck out six in six shutout innings for Los Mochis, giving up six hits and no walks.  Lew Ford hit a home run for Los Mochis.

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

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 5, MELBOURNE 1 IN MELBOURNE

Josh Altmann hit a two-run homer in a three-run fourth that put Adelaide up 3-1.  LaDarious Clark added a two-run homer in the fifth.  Zach Cooper pitched six innings for Adelaide, giving up one run on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts for Adelaide.

BRISBANE 9, PERTH 8 IN BRISBANE

Perth led 6-1 and 8-6, but Brisbane tied it on David Rodriguez' two-run homer in the eighth and won with Kevin Padlo's leadoff walkoff in the ninth.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-5 for Brisbane and is batting .350.  Logan Wade was 0-for-3 with a walk for Brisbane, scoring once and driving in one.  Padlo was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.

SYDNEY 7, CANBERRA 6 IN SYDNEY

Sydney led 4-0 after four, trailed 6-4 after eight, but scored three in the ninth (aided by two errors) to win the game.  Canberra made four errors in the game, leading to three unearned runs.

*Games played January 22.  It's timey-wimey.

GAMES OF JANUARY 22

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 9, AGUILAS 6 IN LICEY

Trailing 5-4, Licey scored four runs in the seventh to go into the lead for good.  A two-run double by Sergio Alcantara brought home the go-ahead runs.  Danny Santana was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Aguilas.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for the Aguilas.  Arturo Lopez pitched five innings for Licey, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Donovan Solano was 3-for-5 for Licey, scoring once and driving in one.

The best-of-nine series is tied 2-2.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 4, SANTURCE 1 IN SANTURCE

Caguas scored two in each of the first two innings and that's all they needed.  Jorge Padilla was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Caguas.  Rey Navarro was 3-for-4 with a run for Caguas.

Caguas leads the best-of-nine series 4-3.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 7, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN LOS MOCHIS

Mexicali scored three in the third, two on a home run by C. J. Retherford, and never trailed.  Los Mochis cut the lead to 4-2 in the eighth on a two-run homer by Isaac Rodriguez Salazar, but Mexciali got three in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Leandro Castro was 0-for-3 with a walk for Los Mochis.  Hector Velazquez struck out ten in 7.1 scoreless innings for Mexicali, giving up four hits and no walks.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 12, LARA 2 IN LARA

Leading 3-2, Zulia put together an eight-run inning in the sixth to put the game out of reach.  There were two errors and two hit batsmen in the inning.  Mitch Lively pitched seven innings for Zulia, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Freddy Galvis was 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI for Zulia.  Jose Pirela was 3-for-5 with a triple and a double for Zulia, scoring once and driving in two.  Endy Chavez hit a two-run homer for Zulia.

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

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 4, AGUILAS 2 IN LICEY

Yamaico Navarro tripled and scored in a two-run eighth that broke a 2-2 tie.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for the Aguilas.  Danny Santana was 1-for-2 for the Aguilas.  Evan MacLane pitched 5.2 innings for Licey, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

The best-of-nine series is tied 1-1.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

SYDNEY 5, CANBERRA IN SYDNEY (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Shane Kelleher hit a two-run double in a three-run sixth that put Sydney up 5-1.  Luke Wilkins pitched a complete game for Sydney, giving up an unearned run on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

CANBERRA 2, SYDNEY 1 IN SYDNEY (GAME 2)

Canberra scored single runs in the second and sixth.  Sydney got its lone run in the sixth and had the tying run in scoring position then and in the eighth.  Louis Cohen struck out ten in seven innings for Canberra, giving up an unearned run on four hits and no walks.  Jason Sloan was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk for Canberra, scoring once.  Todd Van Steensel pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout for Sydney.

ADELAIDE 6, MELBOURNE 2 IN MELBOURNE

Josh Altmann hit a three-run homer in a four-run second that gave Adelaide all the runs they needed.  Christopher Horne pitched five innings for Adelaide, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts.  Angus Roeger was 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and a walk for Adelaide, driving in two.

BRISBANE 8, PERTH 7 IN BRISBANE

Brisbane scored four in the third and four more in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead, then held on to win.  Perth scored three in the ninth to cut the margin to 8-7, but did not get the tying run on base.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run for Brisbane and is batting .356.  Logan Wade was 2-for-4 with a walk for Brisbane.  Mitch Nilsson hit two two-run homers for Brisbane.

*Games played January 21.  It's timey-wimey.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 4, LICEY 3 AT AGUILAS

Licey led 3-1 after five, but Zoilo Almonte hit a two-run homer in the sixth to tie it and Francisco Pena delivered an RBI single in the seventh to give Aguilas the lead.  Danny Santana was used as a pinch-hitter by the Aguilas and was 0-for-1.  Almonte was 3-for-4.

The Aguilas lead the best-of-nine series 1-0.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 3, CAGUAS 1 IN SANTRUCE

All the runs were scored in the fourth inning.  Ruben Gotay doubled home a run in the top of the inning and Christian Vazquez delivered a two-run single in a three-run bottom of the inning.  Adalberto Flores struck out five in five innings for Santurce, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks.

Santurce leads the best-of- nine series 3-2.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

LOS MOCHIS 3, CULIACAN 1 IN LOS MOCHIS

Culiacan took a 1-0 lead in the sixth, but Sebastian Valle came through with a two-run double in the seventh and later scored on Eugenio Velez' RBI triple.  Leandro Castro was 2-for-4 with a run for Los Mochis.  Roy Merritt pitched 5.1 innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Los Mochis wins the best-of-seven series 4-3.

MEXICALI 4, HERMOSILLO 3 IN MEXICALI (16 INNINGS)

Each team scored two in the first.  O'Koyea Dickson homered in the fifth to put Hermosillo ahead 3-2, but Yordanys Linares' RBI single in the seventh tied it 3-3.  There was no more scoring until the sixteenth, when Luis Juarez singled home Chris Roberson with the game-winning and series-winning run.  Jake Sanchez struck out eleven in 7.1 scoreless innings of relief for Mexicali, giving up two hits and two walks.  Juarez was 4-for-7 with a double and two RBIs.  Yuniesky Betancourt was 4-for-8 with a double for Mexicali, scoring once and driving in one.  Roberson was 3-for-6 with a double and a walk, scoring twice.

Mexicali wins the best-of-seven series 4-3.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 4, MELBOURNE 3 IN MELBOURNE

Mitch Dening doubled in Max Brown with the go-ahead run in the eighth.  Greg Mosel struck out four in three shutout innings of relief, giving up no hits and one walk.

CANBERRA 5, SYDNEY 3 IN SYDNEY

An RBI single by Robbie Perkins in the eighth broke a 3-3 tie and Canberra got an insurance run later in the inning.  Brian Grening pitched six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts for Canberra, and Tim Atherton struck out four in three perfect innings of relief for Canberra.  Perkins was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Canberra.  River Stevens hit a two-run homer for Canberra.

BRISBANE 8, PERTH 6 IN BRISBANE

John Riley hit a three-run homer in the top of the fourth to put Perth ahead 4-3, but Wade Dutton hit a two-run homer in a three-run bottom of the fourth that put Brisbane in the lead to stay.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk for Brisbane, scoring three times and raising his average to .351.  Logan Wade was 0-for-4 for Brisbane.  Mitch Nilsson hit a home run for Brisbane.

*Games played January 20.  It's timey-wimey.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 1, ANZOATEGUI 0 IN ZULIA

Jose Pirela led off the second with a double and scored on a Jordany Valdespin single for the game's only run.  Carlos Hernandez pitched seven shutout innings for Zulia, giving up four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-4 for Zulia.

Zulia wins the best-of-seven series 4-1.

LARA 2, LA GUAIRA 1 IN LA GUAIRA

Carlos Rivero's RBI single in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.  La Guaira got the tying run to second in the sixth but never did so again.  Omar Bencomo pitched 4.2 innings, giving up one run on eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

Lara wins the best-of seven series 4-1.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 4, GIGANTES 3 AT GIGANTES

Kennys Vargas had an RBI double and Hector Luna had a two-run double to give the Aguilas a 4-1 lead in the seventh.  The Gigantes got two back in the bottom of the seventh and got the tying run to third with two out in the inning, but did not get a hit the rest of the game.  Vargas was 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in two.

LICEY 3, ESCOGIDO 1 IN ESCOGIDO

Juan Francisco's homer in the fourth put Licey ahead 2-0 and that was all they needed.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 for Escogido.  Cesar Valdez pitched 5.2 innings for Licey, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

FINAL STANDINGS

Aguilas, 14-4
Licey, 9-9
Gigantes, 8-10
Escogido, 5-13

There does not appear to be another round of playoffs scheduled, so it looks like the Aguilas are the champions of the Dominican League.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 4, SANTURCE 2 IN SANTURCE

An error, a double, and another error produced two first-inning runs for Caguas and they led all the way.  Jose De La Torre pitched 5.2 innings for Caguas, giving up two unearned runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  David Vidal hit a home run for Caguas.

Caguas leads the best-of-nine series 2-1.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 6, HERMOSILLO 1 IN HERMOSILLO

RBI singles by Luis Juarez and Agustin Murillo gave Mexicali a 2-0 lead in the first and they led all the way.  Miguel Pena pitched 6.1 innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Yuniesky Betancourt was 3-for-5 for Mexicali.  C. J. Retherford hit a home run for Mexicali.

Mexicali leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

LARA 5, LA GUAIRA 3 IN LA GUAIRA

Lara led 3-0 after four, but it was tied 3-3 going to the ninth.  A two-out two-run double by Paulo Orlando put Lara ahead to stay.  Gustavo Molina hit a home run for Lara.

Lara leads the best-of-seven series 3-1.

ZULIA 5, ANZOATEGUI 2 IN ZULIA

Zulia scored three in the first and it was all they needed.  Anzoategui cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth, but Zulia added single runs in the fifth and eighth.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-4 for Zulia.  Alex Romero was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Zulia.  Jose Pirela hit a home run for Zulia.

Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 3-1.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

LICEY 10, GIGANTES 1 IN LICEY

Licey scored three in the fourth to go ahead 5-0 and got five more in the eighth to seal the deal.  Arturo Lopez pitched 5.1 innings for Licey, giving up one run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

AGUILAS 4, ESCOGIDO 0 AT AGUILAS

The Aguilas scored two in the third and got a two-run homer from Zoilo Almonte in the fifth.  Six Aguilas pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-1 with a walk and an RBI for the Aguilas.  Angel Franco was 3-for-4 with three doubles for the Aguilas.

STANDINGS

Aguilas, 13-4
Gigantes, 8-9
Licey, 8-9
Escogido, 5-12

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 4, MEXICALI 1 IN HERMOSILLO

Carlos Alberto Gastelum's two-run double in the fourth opened the scoring and put Hermosillo ahead to stay.  Mexicali got one back in the fifth, but Hermosillo got single runs in the sixth and seventh to stretch their lead.  Jeremy Kehrt pitched 6.2 innings for Hermosillo, giving up an unearned run on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Jose Amador was 3-for-4 with a home run and two doubles for Hermosillo.

The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2.

LOS MOCHIS 3, CULIACAN 2 IN LOS MOCHIS

Los Mochis scored two in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.  Culiacan got one back in the bottom of the fifth and had the tying run in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, and seventh.  Leandro Castro was 0-for-3 with a walk for Los Mochis.  Manny Barreda struck out five in 5.2 innings for Los Mochis, giving up two runs on five hits and five walks.  Lew Ford was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Los Mochis.  Eugenio Velez hit a home run for Los Mochis.

Los Mochis leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

GAMES OF JANUARY 14

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

GIGANTES 8, AGUILAS 3 AT AGUILAS (GAME 1)

Garabez Rosa hit a two-run homer in a three-run sixth that put the Gigantes up 5-3.  The Gigantes added three more in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Danny Santana was 0-for-4 for the Aguilas.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-3 with a home run and two walks for the Aguilas.  Rosa was 4-for-5 and had two doubles in addition to his home run, scoring twice and driving in three.  Ketel Marte was 3-for-6 with a triple for the Gigantes, scoring once and driving in two.  Cam Perkins was 3-for-5 for the Gigantes.

GIGANTES 8, AGUILAS 2 AT AGUILAS

The Gigantes scored at least once in each of innings two through six, building a 6-2 lead.  It was a bullpen game for the Gigantes, as they used seven pitchers.

LICEY 11, ESCOGIDO 1 IN LICEY

Emilio Bonifacio's RBI double in the fourth put Licey up 2-1.  They then scored two in the fifth, three in the sixth, and four in the eighth.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-3 with a walk for Escogido.  Evan MacLane struck out six in six innings for Licey, giving up one run on four hits and a walk.  Engel Beltre was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs for Licey.

STANDINGS

Aguilas, 11-4
Gigantes, 7-8
Licey, 7-8
Escogido, 5-10

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 1, SANTURCE 0 IN SANTURCE

Randy Ruiz singled Jorge Padilla home in the first inning and Caguas made the run stand up.  Orlando Roman struck out four in 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and a walk.

Caguas leads the best-of-nine series 1-0.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

CULIACAN 7, LOS MOCHIS 3

Jose Guadalupe Chavez hit a three-run homer in a four-run sixth that put Culiacan ahead 7-3.  Leandro Castro was 1-for-3 for Los Mochis.  Daniel Rodriguez pitched seven innings for Culiacan, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Los Mochis leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

MELBOURNE 6, CANBERRA 5 IN CANBERRA

Trailing 5-4, Melbourne scored twice in the seventh to take the lead to stay.  The go-ahead run scored from third when Canberra had to throw to first to record a strikeout.

ADELAIDE 2, PERTH 1 IN ADELAIDE

Stefan Welch's two-run double in the first provided all the runs Adelaide would need.  Steven Chambers struck out six in 4.1 scoreless innings for Adelaide, giving up three hits and four walks.

SYDNEY AT BRISBANE

Rained out.

*Games played January 15.  It's timey-wimey.

GAMES OF JANUARY 15

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

LARA 9, LA GUAIRA 3 IN LA GUAIRA

Lara scored two in the first and never looked back, building an 8-0 lead after six.  Jorge Martinez pitched five shutout innings for Lara, giving up four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Ildemaro Vargas was 3-for-4 with a double and two walks for Lara, scoring twice and driving in one.  Juniel Querecuto was 3-for-5 with a triple for Lara, scoring twice and driving in three.

Lara leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

ZULIA 3, ANZOATEGUI 2 IN ZULIA

Zulia scored two in the second and never trailed.  Anzoategui cut the lead to 3-2, left the bases loaded in the sixth, and stranded two more in the seventh.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-4 with a run for Zulia.  Rolando Valdez pitched five innings for Zulia, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Zulia leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 8, ESCOGIDO 0 IN ESCOGIDO

Angel Franco hit a grand slam to cap a five-run second that gave the Aguilas all the runs they needed.  Danny Santana was 0-for-4 with a walk for the Aguilas.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-2 with two walks for the Aguilas, scoring once and driving in one.  Alfredo Marte hit a two-run homer for the Aguilas and Jonathan Villar hit a solo homer for the Aguilas.

GIGANTES 10, LICEY 6 AT GIGANTES

The Gigantes trailed 6-4 after seven but scored six runs in the eighth to win.  Melvin Mercedes was 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Gigantes.  Leury Garcia was 3-for-5 with two runs for the Gigantes.

STANDINGS

Aguilas, 12-4
Gigantes, 8-8
Licey, 7-9
Escogido, 5-11

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 6, CAGUAS 3 IN CAGUAS

Santurce trailed 2-0 after six but scored five in the seventh to win.  Drew Ferguson had a three-run double to break a 2-2 tie.

The best-of-nine series is tied 1-1.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 2, MEXICALI 1 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo got RBI singles by O'Koyea Dickson and Jose Amador in the eighth to overcome a 1-0 deficit.  Barry Enright pitched eight innings, giving up an unearned run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Mexicali leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

CULIACAN 4, LOS MOCHIS 1 IN CULIACAN

Ramiro Pena's RBI single in the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and Culiacan added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth.  Leandro Castro was 1-for-3 for Los Mochis.

The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.