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.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 30

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Playoffs--Day 4

AGUILAS 6, LICEY 1 IN LICEY

The Aguilas scored three in the third and led all the way.  It was a bullpen game for the Aguilas, as they used eight pitchers, including our old friend, magical zoomball specialist Samuel Deduno.  Danny Santana was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run for the Aguilas.  Jonathan Villar was 3-for-4 with a walk for the Aguilas, scoring twice and driving in one.  Ronny Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs for the Aguilas.

ESCOGIDO 12, GIGANTES 2 AT GIGANTES

A nine-run seventh settled this one for Escogido.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with a walk for Escogido, scoring once and driving in three.  Bryan Evans pitched 5.2 innings for Escogido, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Eury Perez was 3-for-5 with two runs for Escogido.  Taylor Davis hit a two-run homer for Escogido.

STANDINGS

Aguilas, 3-1
Licey, 2-1
Escogido, 1-2
Gigantes, 0-2

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAGUAS 4, SANTURCE 1 IN SANTURCE

Angel Ortega's two-run single with two out in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.  John Brownell pitched four innings for Caguas, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout.  Geraldo Valentin hit a home run for Caguas, his second.

MAYAGUEZ 5, AGUADILLA 0 IN AGUADILLA

Jesmuel Valentin hit a two-run homer in the first and that was all Mayaguez needed.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk for Mayaguez.  Pete Parise pitched five shutout innings for Mayaguez, giving up six hits and a walk with one strikeout.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

JALISCO 4, CULIACAN 2 IN CULIACAN

Jose Manuel Rodriguez hit a two-run single in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  Jesus Cruz pitched five innings for Jalisco, giving up one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeoiuts.  Rodriguez was 4-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in two.  Carlos Figueroa was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Jalisco.

LOS MOCHIS 4, NAVOJOA 3 IN LOS MOCHIS (16 INNINGS)

Saul Soto singled in a run for Los Mochis to tie it 2-2 after eight.  Each team scored once in the twelfth.  With two out and none on in the sixteenth, Isaac Rodriguez walked and scored from first on a Leandro Castro double to win the game.  Luis Niebla pitched five innings for Los Mochis, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Castro was 3-for-6 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

MAZATLAN 3, OBREGON 2 IN MAZATLAN

Yancarlo Angulo led off the sixth with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to break a 2-2 tie.  Walter Silva struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk.

MEXICALI 2, HERMOSILLO 1 IN HERMOSILLO

Luis Alfonso Garcia homered for Hermosillo in the top of the eighth, the only Hermosillo hit of the game, to tie it 1-1, but Chris Roberson's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth gave Mexicali the lead to keep.  Efren Delgado struck out eight in eight innings, giving up one run on one hit and no walks.  Roberson was 3-for-5 with a home run (his fifth) to go along with the double.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 31

The only games played were in the Australian League.

CANBERRA 7, PERTH 0 IN PERTH (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Already leading 2-0, Canberra put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth capped by a three-run homer by Josh Almonte.  Sean Guinard struck out six in five shutout innings for Canberra, giving up three  hits and four walks.  Robbie Perkins hit a home run for Canberra, his third.

PERTH 7, CANBERRA 4 IN PERTH (GAME 2)

Perth scored three in the second and two in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead.  Tim Kennelly was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Perth, driving in three.  Brandon Dale was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI for Perth.  Matt Kennelly was 3-for-5 with a run for Perth.

BRISBANE 13, ADELAIDE 10 IN BRISBANE (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Brisbane had leads of 3-0, 6-2, and 7-3, but it was tied 7-7 before they got one in the fifth and five in the sixth to finally take control of the game.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with two home runs (his second and third) and a walk for Brisbane and is now batting .302.  Logan Wade was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs and is batting .309.  Donald Lutz was 2-for-2 with a two-run homer (his second) and three runs for Brisbane.  David Sutherland was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second) and a double, driving in three for Brisbane.  Connor MacDonald also hit a home run for Brisbane, his second.

BRISBANE 13, ADELAIDE 5 IN BRISBANE (GAME 2)

Brisbane scored five in the first, saw Adelaide catch up 5-5, but scored three in the third and never trailed after that.  Aaron Whitefield was 4-for-4 with a home run (his fourth) and a double  for Brisbane, scoring three and driving in three.  He is batting .330.  Logan Wade was 2-for-5 with a double for Brisbane, scoring one and driving in one.  He is batting .313.  Connor MacDonald was 3-for-4 for Brisbane, scoring one and driving in two.  Thomas Milone hit a home run for Brisbane, his second.

MELBOURNE 6, SYDNEY 4 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne lost a 3-1 lead, but came back to score three in the ninth to take a 6-4 win.  Dushan Ruzic pitched 5.2 innings for Melbourne, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Cody Jones was 3-for-4 with a walk for Melbourne, scoring twice.

GAMES OF JANUARY 1

There was only one game played.  Again, it was in the Australian League.

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 1 IN SYDNEY

Melbourne scored three in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.  Jon Kennedy struck out five in five innings for Melbourne, giving up one run on two hits and no walks.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

MARGARITA 4, CARACAS 2 IN CARACAS

Margarita scored two in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie.  Breyvic Valera hit a home run for Margarita, his seventh.

ANZOATEGUI 4, MAGALLANES 1 IN MAGALLANES

Two singles, a walk, and another single produced two first-inning runs for Anzoategui and they led all the way.  Daryl Thompson pitched seven shutout innings, giving up seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

LARA 10, ARAGUA 7 IN LARA

Lara trailed 5-2, but a two-run fourth and a three-run fifth gave them a 7-5 lead and they were ahead the rest of the way.  Jairo Perez hit a home run for Lara, his fifth.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY THREE

AGUILAS 7, ESCOGIDO 4 IN ESCOGIDO

Zoilo Almonte's two-run double gave the Aguilas a 2-0 lead in the first and Jonathan Villar's two-run single in the sixth made it 7-4.  Danny Santana was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run for the Aguilas.  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-4 with a double for Escogido, scoring once and driving in one.  Almonte was 3-for-5 for the Aguilas.

LICEY 10, GIGANTES 7 AT GIGANTES

A single, a walk, and three doubles produced four runs for Licey, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead they kept the rest of the game.  Diory Hernandez was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk for Licey, scoring four times and driving in one.  Jason Rogers homered for Licey.

STANDINGS

Licey, 2-0
Aguilas, 2-1
Gigantes, 0-1
Escogido, 0-2

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAROLINA 4, MAYAGUEZ 1 IN MAYAGUEZ

Jeff Dominguez' two-run homer capped a three-run fourth that put Carolina up 3-0.  Benji Gonzalez was 1-for-3 for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Felix Ortega pitched five innings for Carolina, giving up one run on five hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

CAGUAS 4, AGUADILLA 2 IN CAGUAS

Rusney Castillo's RBI single in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and Caguas added an insurance run in the eighth.  Orlando Roman struck out six in six innings for Caguas, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

CULIACAN 6, JALISCO 5 IN JALISCO

Joey Meneses' three-run homer in the seventh gave Culiacan a 6-4 lead and they held on.  Maxwell Leon was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI for Culiacan.  Meneses' homer was his seventh.

NAVOJOA 12, LOST MOCHIS 7 IN LOS MOCHIS

Leading 4-3, Navojoa scored three in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run single by Quincy Latimore, to take control of the game.  Alan Sanchez was 5-for-5 with two doubles for Navojoa, scoring four times and driving in two.  Yosmany Guerra was 3-for-5 with two doubles for Navojoa, scoring once and driving in three.

OBREGON 11, MAZATLAN 4 IN MAZATLAN

Mazatlan led 1-0 through seven, but Obregon scored five in the eighth and six in the ninth to take control of the game.  Irwin Delgado struck out six in 5.1 innings for Obregon, giving up one run on four hits and a walk.

HERMOSILLO 8, MEXICALI 2 IN MEXICALI

Hermosillo scored seven in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead.  Jose Amador hit a grand slam in the inning.  Pablo Ortega pitched six innings for Hermosillo, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Amador's home run was his fifteenth.  O'Koyea Dickson also hit a home run, his second.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 13, BRISBANE 10 IN BRISBANE

Adelaide saw a 9-1 lead shrink to 9-8 before scoring two in the seventh and two in the eighth to take control of the game.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with two walks for Brisbane, scoring three times.  Logan Wade was 0-for-6 for Brisbane, dropping his average to .300.  Mitch Dening was 5-for-5 with three home runs (his fourth, fifth, and sixth) for Adelaide, scoring four times and driving in six.  Jordan McArdle was 3-for-5 with two runs for Adelaide.  Marcus Greene, Jr. hit a home run, his sixth.

SYDNEY 9, MELBOURNE 2 IN SYDNEY

Sydney had three doubles and a single in the first inning, producing a 3-0 lead which Sydney held the rest of the game.  Craig Anderson pitched five innings for Sydney, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Tucker Neuhaus was 3-for-4 with two doubles for Sydney, scoring twice and driving in one.

CANBERRA 4, PERTH 3 IN PERTH

Each team scored three in the first.  The only other run came in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Robbie Perkens and Aaron Sayers.  Louis Cohen pitched seven innings for Canberra, giving up three unearned runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Sayers was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

*Games played December 30.  It's timey-wimey.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

MAGALLANES 9, ZULIA 3 IN MAGALLANES

Leading 4-3, Magallanes hit three doubles in a four-run fifth that put the game out of reach.  Endy Chavez was 3-for-4 for Magallanes, scoring twice and driving in one.

MARGARITA 3, CARACAS 1 IN CARACAS

Caracas got a run in the first, but Margarita came back with two in the third and one in the fifth.  Omar Poveda struck out six in five innings for Margarita, giving up one run on six hits and no walks.  Breyvic Valera was 3-for-4 with a double for Margarita, scoring once and driving in one.

ARAGUA 7, ANZOATEGUI 0 IN ARAGUA

Aragua scored three in the second and never trailed.  Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-5 with an RBI for Aragua and is batting .308.  Misael Siverio pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

LARA 10, LA GUAIRA 1 IN LARA

Manny Pina hit a two-run triple to cap a four-run first that put Lara in control of the game.  Jorge Martinez pitched five innings for Lara, giving up an unearned run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Ildemaro Vargas was 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs for Lara.  Luis Valbuena was 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs for Lara.  Rangel Ravelo was 2-for-2 with a home run (his sixth) and a walk for Lara, scoring three times and driving in two.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY TWO

AGUILAS 7, ESCOGIDO 4 AT AGUILAS

Each team scored four in the first, the Aguilas scored three in the third, and that was it.  Neither team's starter made it out of the first inning.  Danny Santana was used as a pinch-runner for the Aguilas and did not bat.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run for Escogido.  Zoilo Almonte was 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs for the Aguilas.

GIGANTES AT LICEY

Rained out.

STANDINGS

Licey, 1-0
Aguilas, 1-1
Gigantes, 0-0
Escogido, 0-1

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 1, MAYAGUEZ 0 IN SANTURCE

It was scoreless until the bottom of the ninth, when Neftali Soto hit a one-out walkoff homer.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-3 for Mayaguez.  Dereck Rodriguez struck out two in 1.1 innings for Mayaguez, giving up one run on one hit and no walks, making his ERA 1.02.  Reiner Roibal pitched four shutout innings for Santurce, giving up two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Soto's homer was his fourth.

AGUADILLA 3, CAROLINA 2 IN CAROLINA

A two-run double by Jorge Jimenez in the eighth turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and an eventual win.  Tomas Santiago pitched 5.1 innings for Aguadilla, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

JALISCO 7, CULIACAN 6 IN JALISCO (12 INNINGS)

Culiacan led 2-1 until the eighth, when they scored four runs to take a commanding 6-1 lead only to see Jalisco get five in the bottom of the inning to tie it 6-6.  Jose Manuel Rodriguez led off the twelfth with a walkoff homer for Jalisco.  Miguel Chalas pitched 5.1 innings for Jalisco, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Rodriguez was 3-for-6 and the home run was his seventh.  Jesus Valdez hit a home run for Jalisco, his sixth.

NAVOJOA 8, LOS MOCHIS 4 IN LOS MOCHIS

Alejandro Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie and put Navojoa in the lead to stay.  Quincy Latimore was 2-for-3 with a home run (his twelfth) and two walks for Navojoa, scoring twice and driving in four.  Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with two walks for Navojoa.  The home run was his second, as he scored twice and drove in two.

MAZATLAN 2, OBREGON 1 IN MAZATLAN

Mazatlan scored two in the first and made them stand up.  Felipe Gonzalez pitched six shutout innings for Mazatlan, giving up two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

MEXICALI 8, HERMOSILLO 7 IN MEXICALI

C. J. Retherford hit a grand slam to cap a six-run eighth, bringing Mexicali back from a 7-2 deficit to win.  Retherford was 2-for-4 with a walk in addition to the home run, which was his thirteenth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE*

ADELAIDE 8, BRISBANE 3 IN BRISBANE

Mitch Dening's two-run homer in the eighth put Adelaide ahead 4-3 and they added four in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-5 for Brisbane.  Logan Wade was 1-for-5 with a double for Brisbane.  Dening was 2-for-5 and the home run was his third.  LeDarious Clark was also 2-for-5 with a home run (his second), as well as a walk.  Jordan Cowan was 2-for-5 with a home run and scored twice.

MELBOURNE 4, SYDNEY 3 IN SYDNEY

Cody Jones' RBI single with two out in the ninth put Melbourne ahead to stay.  Mark Hamburger struck out eleven in eight innings for Melbourne, giving up three runs on nine hits and no walks.

PERTH 8, CANBERRA 2 IN PERTH

With Perth already up 4-2 Joey Wong hit a three-run triple to put the game out of reach.  Matt Kennelly was 3-for-4 with a home run and a double for Perth, scoring three times.  Tim Kennelly was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third), a double, and a walk for Perth, scoring twice.

*Games played December 29.  It's timey-wimey.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ZULIA 6, CARACAS 4 IN CARACAS

Trailing 3-1 through eight, Zulia scored five in the ninth to win.  Caracas scored one in the ninth and had the bases loaded when the third out was made.  Wilfredo Boscan pitched four shutout innings for Zulia, giving up two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Jose Flores was 3-for-4 with a double for Zulila, scoring once and driving in one.

MARGARITA 15, ANZOATEGUI 3 IN ANZOATEGUI

Margarita scored six in the second inning and was never threatened.  Breyvic Valera hit a two-run triple in the inning.  Randy Boone pitched six innings for Margarita, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Angelo Castellano was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk for Margarita, scoring twice and driving in three.

LARA 5, ARAGUA 3, IN ARAGUA

A walk was followed by four singles in the fifth inning, producing three Lara runs and breaking a 2-2 tie.  Eduardo Escobar was 2-for-4 for Aragua.  Rangel Ravelo was 3-for-5 with a double for Lara, scoring twice.

LA GUAIRA 2, MAGALLANES 1 IN MAGALLANES

In the first inning, La Guaira got three singles and two walks, producing two runs that turned out to be all La Guaira needed.  Jonathan Albaladejo pitched six innings for La Guaira, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

PLAYOFFS--DAY ONE

LICEY 4, AGUILAS 1 IN LICEY

Three singles and two errors produced two Licey runs in the first and Licey led all the way.  Danny Santana was used as a reserve for Licey and was 0-for-1.  Yohan Flande pitched 5.1 innings for LIcey, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Diory Hernandez was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Licey.  Austin Wynns was 3-for-4 with an RBI.

ESCOGIDO AT GIGANTES

Rained out.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

CAROLINA 4, CAGUAS 3 IN CAGUAS

Carolina trailed 3-2 going to the eighth, but a strikeout/wild pitch, a double, and a throwing error brought home the tying and go-ahead runs.  Giovanni Soto struck out six in six innings for Carolina, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks.  Jeff Dominguez was 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run for Carolina.  Both Giovanni Soto and Geovany Soto play for Carolina, which one would think must get confusing at times.

MAYAGUEZ 2, AGUADILLA 1 IN AGUADILLA

Mayaguez scored two in the first and made it stand up.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-5 for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-3 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Jorge Lopez struck out six in four shutout innings for Mayaguez, giving up three hits and three walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

HERMOSILLO 6, LOS MOCHIS 2 IN HERMOSILLO

Efren Navarro's two-run triple brought home the go-ahead runs in a four-run fourth that broke a 2-2 tie.  Travis Blackley pitched 6.2 innings for Hermosillo, giving up two runs on ten hits and a walk with one strikeout.

NAVOJOA 8, JALISCO 1 IN NAVOJOA

Already leading 4-1, Navojoa scored four in the seventh to put the game out of reach.  Hector Velazquez struck out six in 6.1 innings for Navojoa, giving up one run on four hits and no walks.  Quincy Latimore was 2-for-4 with a home run (his eleventh) and a double for Navojoa, scoring twice.  Niko Vazquez hit a two-run homer for Navojoa, his eighth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 24

The only game played in any of the winter leagues was in the Dominican League.  It was a makeup game and it was the last game of their regular season.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

GIGANTES 5, ORIENTE 3 AT GIGANTES

A four-run sixth broke open a 1-1 tie and put the Gigantes in the lead to stay.  All the damage came with two out and no one on, as Oriente made two errors in the inning.  Aderlin Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a run for the Gigantes.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 25

The only winter league to play games on December 25 was the Mexican League.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

OBREGON 6, MEXICALI 4 IN OBREGON

A three-run fourth put Obregon up 6-1 and the score stayed there until the ninth.  Mexicali scored three in the ninth and got the tying run up to bat with one out but could do no more.  Fabio Castro pitched 5.2 innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

JALISCO 10, NAVOJOA 1 IN NAVOJOA

Leading 1-0, Jalisco scored nine runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.  Daniel Guerrero struck out five in five shutout innings for Jalisco, giving up five hits and two walks.  Jose Manuel Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two for Jalisco.

CULIACAN 2, MAZATLAN 1 IN CULIACAN

Mazatlan scored one in the third and it held up until the ninth.  A walk and a single-plus-error tied the score and put the winning run on third.  Joey Meneses then singled home that winning run.  Edgar Gonzalez pitched eight innings for Culiacan, giving up one run on eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

GAMES OF DECEMBER 26

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 5, MARGARITA 4 IN ANZOATEGUI

Trailing 5-2 after seven, Margarita scored two in the eighth and had the bases loaded with two out but could not get the tying run home.  Yeiper Castillo pitched five shutout innings for Anzoategui, giving up one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.

ARAGUA 5, CARACAS 1 IN ARAGUA

Renato Nunez hit a two-run homer in the first for Aragua and they led the rest of the way.  Eduardo Escobar was 0-for-4 for Aragua.  Yohan Pino pitched 4.1 innings for Aragua, giving up one run on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout.  Nunez' homer was his eleventh.

LA GUAIRA 6, MAGALLANES 3 IN LA GUAIRA

Jose Martinez hit a two-run double in a four-run third that broke a 1-1 tie and put LaGuaira in control of the game.  Edgmer Escalona pitched five innings for La Guaira, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Heiker Meneses was 4-for-4 with a triple and a double for La Guaira, scoring once and driving in two.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

AGUADILLA 6, CAGUAS 3 IN AGUADILLA

Ricardo Bautista's three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth broke a 3-3 tie.  Efrain Nieves pitched six innings for Aguadilla, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Bautista's homer was his second.

CAROLINA 3, SANTURCE 1 IN CAROLINA

Carolina scored two in the sixth to break a scoreless tie.  Mario Santiago pitched 8.1 innings for Carolina, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 4, OBREGON 1 IN OBREGON

Luis Juarez hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put Mexicali ahead 2-1.  Juarez hit another homer in the seventh, as did C. J. Retherford.  Edgar Osuna pitched six innings for Mexicali, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Juarez' homers were his fourth and fifth and Retherford's was his twelfth.

LOS MOCHIS 1, HERMOSILLO 0 IN HERMOSILLO

J. C. Linares' RBI double in the third produced the game's only run.  Manny Bareda struck out nine in six no-hit innings for Los Mochis, walking three.  Hermosillo's only two hits came in the eighth.

NAVOJOA 3, JALISCO 2 IN NAVOJOA

Tony Thomas tied it with an RBI triple in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run later in the inning.  Ruddy Acosta pitched five innings for Navojoa, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Yosmany Guerra was 3-for-4 with a walk for Navojoa, scoring once.  Lance Zawadski hit a home run for Navojoa.

CULIACAN 5, MAZATLAN 4 IN CULIACAN (13 INNINGS)

With a man on second and one out, a wild pitch-plus-error allowed the winning run to score.  Jose Manuel Orozco hit a home run for Culiacan, his fifth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

CARACAS 4, LA GUAIRA 2 IN CARACAS

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, Caracas got a walk, a single, and a walk to load the bases and Felix Perez delivered a three-run triple to bring in the go-ahead runs.  Henry Alejandro Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a run for Caracas

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ORIENTE AT GIGANTES

Rained out.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 3, CAGUAS 2 IN SANTURCE (11 INNINGS)

Caguas got two in the first but could do no more.  Santurce tied it with one in the fifth and one in the sixth.  With two out and none on in the eleventh, a walk, a single, and an RBI single by Hector Olivera produced the winning run.  Andres Santiago pitched five innings for Santurce, giving up two runs on six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

AGUADILLA 8, MAYAGUEZ 3 IN MAYAGUEZ

With the score tied 2-2, Aguadilla scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh to take control.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-4 for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Jarret Leveret pitched five innings for Aguadilla, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Ricardo Bautista was 4-for-5 with a double for Aguadilla, scoring once and driving in two.  Yariel Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk for Aguadilla, scoring once and driving in two.  Alexis Pantoja was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Aguadilla.  Reymond Fuentes hit a home run for Aguadilla, his second.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 1, OBREGON 0 IN OBREGON

A hit batsman, a single, and an error in the first inning produced the game's only run.  Miguel Pena pitched 7.2 scoreless innings for Mexicali, giving up two hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

LOS MOCHIS 12, HERMOSILLO 4 IN HERMOSILLO

Los Mochis got three in the second and two in each of innings three through five to take control of the game.  Yadir Drake was 4-for-5 with a walk for Los Mochis, scoring three times.  Jake Fox was 3-for-6 with a home run (his third) and two doubles for Los Mochis, scoring twice and driving in three.  Rodolfo Amador was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk for Los Mochis, scoring twice and driving in two.

CULIACAN 9, MAZATLAN 2 IN CULIACAN

Ramiro Pena hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Culiacan led all the way.  Daniel Rodriguez pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Pena's home run was his fourth.  Iker Franco hit a three-run homer for Culiacan, his fifth.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 4, ZULIA 3 IN ZULIA

Niuman Romero's sixth-inning RBI single tied it 3-3 and a wild pitch later in the inning brought home the go-ahead run.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with an RBI for Zulia and is batting .309.  Ehire Adrianza hit a home run for Anzoategui.

LARA 6, CARACAS 2 IN LARA

Gustavo Molina hit a two-run homer in a four-run third that put Lara ahead to stay.  Nestor Molina pitched five innings for Lara, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Gustavo Molina's homer was his third.

MAGALLANES 4, MARGARITA 3 IN MARGARITA

RBI singles by Ronny Cedeno and Frank Diaz in the fifth inning put Magallanes ahead 4-3.  Mark Serrano pitched four innings of relief for Magallanes, giving up one run on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

ARAGUA 5, LA GUAIRA 4 IN LA GUAIRA

Trailing 5-2, La Guaira scored one in the eighth and one in the ninth but could not complete the comeback.  Lueris Gomez pitched five innings for Aragua, giving up two unearned runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Hernan Perez was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Aragua, driving in three.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

AGUILAS 5, GIGANTES 2 AT GIGANTES

The Aguilas scored in four of the first five innings, building a 5-0 lead.   Danny Santana was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter for the Aguilas.  Dan Rohlfing was 0-for-2 with a walk for the Gigantes.  Angel Castro struck out five in five innings for the Aguilas, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks.  Jonathan Villar hit two home runs for the Aguilas.

ESCOGIDO 6, ORIENTE 4 IN ORIENTE

Escogido broke a scoreless tie with three in the third and never trailed.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4 for Escogido.  Chesny Young was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Escogido.  Erik Gonzalez hit a two-run homer, his third, for Escogido.

ESTE 3, LICEY 2 IN ESTE

Diory Hernandez' RBI single in the top of the ninth put Licey up 2-1, but Deibinson Romero delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give Este the win.  Edwar Cabrera pitched six innings for Este, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Eugenio Velez was 3-for-4 with a triple and a run for Este.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

MAYAGUEZ 3, CAROLINA 2 IN CAROLINA

Mayaguez got all three of their runs in the second inning.  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a walk for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 0-for-1 as a reserve for Mayaguez.  Dereck Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning for Mayaguez despite giving up two hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 0.55.  Jonathan Sanchez struck out five in five innings for Mayaguez, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks.

SANTURCE 10, AGUADILLA 1 IN AGUADILLA

Already leading 4-0, Santurce scored five in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  Frank Del Valle pitched five shutout innings for Santurce, giving up three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Jose Lozada was 3-for-3 with a double, scoring three times and driving in three.  Neftali Soto was 3-for-5 with two RBIs for Santurce.  Christian Vazquez hit a home run for Santurce, his second.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

NAVOJOA 2, HERMOSILLO 1 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

A double and three walks brought home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.  Hector Velazquez pitched five innings for Navojoa, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

NAVOJOA 5, HERMOSILLO 0 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Alan Sanchez put Navojoa up 2-0 with a two-run single in the second, Jesus Castillo homered leading off the sixth, and Niko Vasquez hit a two-run homer later in the sixth.  Zack Dodson pitched a complete game for Hermosillo, striking out eight in seven innings while giving up three hits and two walks.  It was the seventh homer for both Castillo and Vasquez.

LOS MOCHIS 4, MEXICALI 3 IN LOS MOCHIS (13 INNINGS)

Mexicali led 3-1 after seven, but Los Mochis scored one in the eighth and one in the ninth to send it to extra innings.  A walk, a fielder's choice, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly scored the winning run.  Sergio Garcia hit a home run for Los Mochis, his second.

CULIACAN 4, OBREGON 2 IN OBREGON

Culiacan scored two in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.  Patrick McCoy pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

JALISCO 3, MAZATLAN 1 IN MAZATLAN

Japhet Amador hit a two-run homer in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie.  Tyler Alexander struck out eleven in 7.1 innings for Jalisco, giving up one run on two hits and a walk.  Amador was 3-for-4 and scored twice.  The home run was his seventh.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

ANZOATEGUI 1, ZULIA 0 IN ZULIA

The game's lone run came in the eighth on two singles and an error.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 for Zulia and is batting .310.  Brian Burres pitched five shutout innings for Anzoategui, giving up five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

MAGALLANES 4, MARGARITA 0 IN MARGARITA

Magallanes got two in the fifth and two in the eighth to take the win.  Alex Senabia pitched six shutout innings for Magallanes, giving up six hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Jose Tabata hit a two-run homer, his fourth.

ARAGUA 16, LA GUAIRA 2 IN LA GUAIRA

Aragua scored four in the fifth and four in the sixth, and put an exclamation point on it with a six-run ninth.  Misael Siverio struck out five in 4.1 scoreless innings for Aragua, giving up five hits and no walks.  Alberto Callaspo was 4-for-6 with two doubles for Aragua, scoring once and driving in three.  Renato Nunez was 3-for-5 with a double for Aragua, scoring twice and driving in one.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

ESCOGIDO 6, GIGANTES 5 IN ESCOGIDO

Escogido led 6-2 after seven and held on.  The Gigantes had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth before falling.  The Gigantes out-hit Escogido 10-6 but stranded ten runners.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs for Escogido.

AGUILAS 3, ORIENTE 0 AT AGUILAS

Hector Luna singled in a run in the first and the Aguilas led all the way.  Francisley Bueno pitched six shutout innings for the Aguilas, giving up three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Danny Santana was 1-for-3 for the Aguilas.

ESTE 5, LICEY 2 IN ESTE

It was 2-2 through seven, but Hector Gomez delivered a two-run double in a three-run eighth that provided the margin of victory.  Christhian Adames was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one for Este.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

SANTURCE 6, AGUADILLA 3 IN AGUADILLA

Hector Olivera hit a two-run double in the sixth that put Santurce up 4-1.  Reiner Roibal pitched five innings for Santurce, giving up one run on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Jose Lozada was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for Santurce, scoring twice.

MAYAGUEZ 4, CAGUAS 1 IN CAGUAS

A walk, a single, another walk, an error, and a wild pitch scored two for Mayaguez in the third, and that was all they needed.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-5 with a run for Mayaguez.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run for Mayaguez.  Benji Gonzalez was 1-for-2 with a triple and two walks for Mayaguez, scoring once and driving in two.  Hiram Burgos struck out five in five innings for Mayaguez, giving up one run on two hits and two walks.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

MEXICALI 4, LOS MOCHIS 3 IN LOS MOCHIS

C. J. Retherford homered leading off the eighth to tie and later in the inning the go-ahead run scored on a double, a hit batsman, a walk, and another hit batsman.  Edgar Osuna struck out five in five innings for Mexicali, giving up an unearned run on three hits and two walks.  Retherford was 3-for-4 and the home run was his tenth.

CULIACAN 6, OBREGON 4 IN CULIACAN

Ronnier Mustelier hit a three-run homer in the first and Culiacan led all the way.  It was 6-1 after eight, but Obregon came back to score three in the ninth and load the bases with two out before a ground out ended the game.  Salvador Valdez pitched five shutout innings for Culiacan, giving up four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Mustelier's homer was his sixth.

MAZATLAN 1, JALISCO 0 IN MAZATLAN (12 INNINGS)

Mazatlan had lots of baserunners and Jalisco had few, but neither team scored until the twelfth, when a bases-loaded walk brought home the game's only run.  Felipe Gonzalez struck out five in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and one walk for Mazatlan.  Jeremias Pineda was 4-for-5 with a double and a walk, driving in one.

NAVOJOA AT HERMOSILLO

Rained out.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

TEAM AUSTRALIA 2, WORLD ALL-STARS 1

With two out in the ninth Trent D'Antonio singled, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Stefan Welch single to give Team Australia the win.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-2 for Team Australia.  Logan Wade was 0-for-3 for Team Australia.