They left the Stars lying on the field in ten innings. Jorge Alfaro was selected as the Most Valuable Player.
The Licey Tigers achieved their 23rd crown last night in the 2023 season, against the Estrellas Orientales, whom they defeated 2-1 during the fifth game of the Fall-Winter Baseball Championship Series, which had a special dedication to Mr. Tomás Troncoso Cuesta.
With this conquest, Licey broke a tie they had with the Cibaeñas Eagles since the 2020-2021 campaign with 22 titles. The Most Valuable Player of the Series Final was the Colombian designated player Jorge Alfaro.
Colombian Jorge Alfaro receives his MVP trophy from Vitelio Mejía, president of the Dominican Baseball League (Lidom). COURTESY VÍCTOR CALVO In the tenth inning, with the game tied at one run per team, Mel Rojas Jr. hit a single to right field that brought Ronny Mauricio from second base with the winning run, leaving the greens on the field with a pitch from Ronel Blanco, the loser, during a marathon game that lasted four hours and 49 minutes.
“Finally we did it. Here is your crown 23,” said Ricardo Ravelo Jana, president of the new champions. “Congratulations to the Eastern Stars for having been a worthy rival. They had an excellent year and should feel very satisfied with that work,” he added. The blue team will now represent the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series to be held in Caracas, Venezuela from February 2 to 10.
For José Offerman it was his third crown as a manager and the first in charge of the team from the beginning to the end of the season. “The fans who so desired this trophy, finally we got it,” said Offerman. “I think that from day one when we were in training, the goal was to come with the idea of getting this trophy and thank God we have it,” he added. The game was won by Alfredo Simón (1-0).
On his side, manager Audo Vicente joined a small group that has won as a manager and executive, among these Rafael Landestoy, Manny Acta and Winston -Chilote- Llenas. Licey put number on the scoreboard in the closing of the third inning. Emilio Bonifacio opened the inning with a single; Ronny Mauricio hit a double play; Jorge Alfaro hit a hit; Ramón Hernández reached first base by error in throw of third baseman Jeimer Candelario; Mel Rojas Jr. shot a single to left field and scored Hernández and in the play Rojas Jr. was put out trying to reach second base.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Stars tied the score at one run per team with a Jeimer Candelario home run to right field against reliever Keury Mella.
For the Stars, Andy Otero started, who worked three innings and a third of six hits, one run, one walk and one strikeout against 16 batters he faced. He was replaced by Román Méndez (0.2), Carlos Hernández (1.0), Oliver Pérez (1.0), Raffi Vizcaíno (1.0), Chester Pimentel (1.0) and Ronel Blanco (0.1).
Meanwhile, for Licey, Alemao Hernández started, with a pitching effort of five innings of seven hits and three struck out batters. He was followed by Steven Moyers (1.1), Jonathan Aro (0.2), Keury Mella (0.1), Jesús Liranzo (0.2), Jairo Asencio (1.0), Antonio Garzón (0.2), Alfredo Simón (0.1).
