The U-12 baseball title returned home, where it always belongs.
The Bolívar team reclaimed it categorically yesterday by comprehensively defeating Córdoba, defending champion, 10 runs to 1 in the final played at the Eduardo Porras Arrázola stadium in Sincelejo. Read here: Falcón Little League travels to the ‘land of merengue’ on behalf of Colombia
Manager John Fortich, of Bolívar, finally ‘pulled the nail out’ since last year he had to taste the bitterness of defeat.
Now celebrate this new title for Bolívar, the first this year for the Baseball League of this department.
The challenge began with give and take as Bolívar scored a run in the top of the first inning and Córdoba immediately responded in the bottom half with another.
In the second act, the ‘tractors’ began to set the initial quota for the reconquest by making two more lines and putting the final seal in the fifth with a cluster of seven scores that put concrete figures on the scoreboard.
Sherson Sabalza, who was 4-2 with one run scored and two RBIs, José Frías, 2-for-5 with one run scored and two RBIs, and William Oliva, 2-for-3 with two runs scored, stood out in Bolívar’s offense.
The victory was achieved by starter Luis Mercado, who worked four innings, allowed three hits, one run, walked three and struck out five.
He was relieved in two innings by Maicon Arnedo, who only had one hit.
The defeat was for Samuel Babylon (1.1). Read here: Possible alignment of Colombia against Paraguay
Champion payroll
Andreiser Gaviria, Carlos Ortega, Ricardo Altamar, Maicon Arnedo, Luis Martínez, Santiago Pérez, Keiner Pacheco, Léiner Moreno, Santiago Aguilar, Juan Peña, Yacer Bustamante, José Frías, Jesús Angulo, William Oliva, Yadier Zúñiga, Luis Aarón Mercado, Michael Fajardo and Sherson Sabalza.
The coaching staff: John Fortich (manager), Jorge Sáenz (coach), Willy Viloria (pitching instructor) and Dagoberto Cavadía (delegate).
The Bolivarian blunderbuss also brought a total of seven champions: William Oliva, champions bat .720; William Oliva most RBIs with 14; Santiago Pérez scored the most with 13; William Oliva most home runs with 2; Carlos Ortega best receiver; William Oliva, best outfielder and most valuable of the tournament.
