The long holiday weekend was all Red as the Final Series of the Dominican Winter League Baseball Tournament got under way. “All Red” means all Escogido, the red team in the Dominican League. Starting on Friday, 18 January the Leones del Escogido defeated the Aguilas Cibaenas 10-7 in 12 innings in the Estadio Cibao of Santiago.
Then on Saturday, 19 January they welcomed the Aguilas to their own field, the Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, where the Aguilas took a 4-0 lead in the third inning but were answered by a four-run rally by the Leones in the fourth. Another three runs by the Leones in the sixth inning in addition to excellent pitching by a series of relievers finished the job with the Aguilas falling eventually 8 to 5.
On Sunday, 20 January before a sell-out crowd at the Estadio Cibao the brilliant arm of well-known Nelson Figueroa shut out the Aguilas for eight innings and Francisco Cordero preserved the shutout. Victory 9-0 for the Leones.
On Monday, 21 January once again in Santo Domingo, the two teams went at it again, and once again the Aguilas took an early lead only to be tied at 2-2 and the game went into extra innings once again. In the eleventh inning with one out and the bases loaded a double play ground ball was hit to Miguel Tejada the star shortstop of the Aguilas to end the inning. However, Tejada mishandled the ball and the winning run scored from third.
The series now stands Escogido four games to zero for the Aguilas. What might be the last game of the tournament will be played today, Tuesday 22 January in the Estadio Cibao of Santiago at 7:30 p.m.