Games of January 23

Kennys Vargas comes through for Mayaguez.

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Twins:  Willians Astudillo (Anzoategui) was 0-for-4.

LARA 8, ANZOATEGUI 3 IN ANZOATEGUI (10 INNINGS)

Anzoategui led 3-0 after seven.  Solo homers by Jecksson Flores, Elvis Escobar, and Rangel Ravelo tied it 3-3 in the eighth.  In the tenth, a bases-loaded hit batsman put Lara ahead and Jesus Montero's grand slam put the game out of reach.  Montero was 3-for-5.  Raul Rivero pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks and striking out four.  For Anzoategui, Balbino Fuenmayor was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer.  Rene Reyes hit a home run, his second of the series.  Logan Darnell pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out five.

Lara leads the series 2-1.

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Twins:  None.

AGUILAS 8, LICEY 1 IN LICEY

Licey scored in the first inning.  It stayed 1-0 through six.  Christian Bethancourt singled in a run in the seventh to tie it, Johan Camargo hit a three-run homer in the eighth to break the tie, and the Aguilas scored four in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Bethancourt was 3-for-4.  Michael Roth pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk and striking out three.  For Licey, Yermin Mercedes was 3-for-4.  Jair Jurrjens pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and three walks and striking out four.

The Aguilas lead the series 1-0.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

NAVOJOA 4, CULIACAN 2 IN CULIACAN

Jovan Rosa hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Navojoa led the rest of the way.  Rosa was 3-for-4.  Alejandro Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with a home run.  Tyler Alexander struck out six in five innings, giving up one run on seven hits.  For Culiacan, Jose Guadalupe Chavez hit a home run.

Culiacan still leads the series 2-1.

AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE

No games scheduled.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

Twins:  Kennys Vargas (Mayaguez) was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.  Dereck Rodriguez (Mayaguez) pitched a third of an inning, giving up no runs on one hit and striking out one.

SANTURCE 4, CAROLINA 1 IN SANTURCE

Santurce scored three in the first to take a 3-1 lead.  Adalberto Flores pitched five innings, giving up one run on five hits and striking out two.

MAYAGUEZ 5, CAGUAS 4 IN CAGUAS

Caguas led 2-0 and 4-2, but Mayaguez scored three in the seventh to go into the lead to stay,  Kennys Vargas delivered a three-run double to put Mayaguez in the lead.  Vargas was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.

If I understand this correctly (and I may not), Caguas has clinched the regular-season title.  Mayaguez and Santurce are tied for second.  It appears that those two teams will play each other for the right to play Caguas in the league championship series.