Licey comes back to life beating Ponce 2-1

By Guille Esquivel
ebeisbol.com

Licey got their first win beating Ponce 2-1 by the only way they have been able to score in this Caribbean Series: by way of a homerun.

In the seventh inning, Hector Mercado was pulled after walking Jose Bautista. Licey took advantage of the pitching change when pinch hitter Fernando Martinez of the New York Mets took Jose Vaquedano deep to right field for the two run shot and the 2-1 lead. Vaquedano was charged with the loss.

In a battle between both teams who suffered a loss in their opening games, Ponce struck first stringing together three singles in the bottom of the fourth inning and Jesus Feliciano crossed the plate on Carlos Rivera’s single scoring the first run of the game giving them the 1-0 lead.

Ponce threatened in the eighth when Feliciano doubled off the right field wall with two outs, but Andy Gonzalez hit a pop fly in foul ground and Willy Aybar made a great diving catch to end the inning and the rally. For the second consecutive day, Puerto Rico did not capitalize on their strong pitching squandering away leads in both losses.

Alfredo Simon from the Gigantes del Cibao opened for Licey while Mercado started for Ponce. The third game of the series featured another pitching duel on the mound in another low scoring affair. Simon got the win and pitched seven innings, striking out seven and walking one while allowing one run on five hits and Mercado pitched 6.2 innings, striking out seven while only allowing one run on three hits.

Julio Manon came in to work the ninth, the first batter he faced Carlos Rivera singled to center open up the inning. Miguel Abreu came in to pinch run and was caught stealing to get the tying run off the basepaths. Manon then retired the next two batters to get the save.