Las Tunas and Chinandega celebrate first Baseball Champions League Americas wins

The Las Tunas Leñadores (Cuba's Serie Nacional) and the Chinandega Tigres (Nicaragua's Pomares Championship) debuted with wins in the Baseball Champions League Americas 2025 at the Halfredo Harp Helù Stadium in Mexico City. Las Tunas outscored the Santa Maria Pirates (Curaçao Double-A League, while Chinandega beat the Florida Titanes (Puerto Rico Superior Double-A League.

Results

Leñadores-Pirates 31-7
Tigres-Titanes 14-9

The Standings

GROUP A Mexico City Diablos Rojos (Mexican Baseball League-LMB), Tigres (1-0); Titanes (0-2)

GROUP B Kane County Cougars (American Association), Leñadores (1-0); Pirates (0-2)

Leñadores-Pirates

Starter Misja Harcksen couldn't get through the bottom of the first and before reliever Carrol Servania could get the third out Las Tunas scored seven runs on their way to a record win.

The Cubans combined 32 hits, including five home runs. Each starter had a multi-hit game. Right fielder Yoelkis Guibert and designated hitter Yosvany Alarcon hit two homers. First baseman Rafael Viñales topped the lineup with five hits, including a home run, and seven RBIs.

The Leñadores didn't need a lot of support from pitchers and defense. Starter Andy Vargas worked five innings, allowing two unearned runs. The Pirates got to reliever Rodolfo Diaz, scoring four runs on four hits. But when they got on the scoreboard, Las Tunas had extended the lead to 16-0.

BOX SCORE

Tigres-Titanes

The Chinandenga Tigres erased a 9-0 deficit after four innings, enjoyed a pair of big innings against the Florida Titanes pitchers and cruised to their first win.

Tigres starter Ronald Medrano gave up three runs with the first 13 pitches of the game. Juan Carlos Martinez reached on a leadoff double and scored on Miguel Vega's home run. Jay Feliciano added a one-out solo homer. The Titanes scored four in the bottom of the first and added four in the bottom of the third against Jesus Garrido.

The Puerto Rico Superior Double-A League champions took a 9-0 lead into the fifth. Their lineup combined 12 hits in four innings and would add only a one-out single (by Victor Sanchez in the rest of the game.

The Tiranes starter, Mad Salgado, worked four scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. The Tigres bats woke up in the top of the fifth. Emanuel Trujillo and Ronald Rivera doubled, Omard Mendoza and Brandon Leyton homered, and when reliever Eddy Reynoso got the third out of the at-bat, the score was 9-5.

They took the lead with a six-run top of the seventh. Reynoso loaded the bases on a walk, a single and by hitting a batter, then got the first out on strikes. The right-hander allowed the sixth Nicaraguan run on an infield single, and Jesus Lopez tied the game with a three-RBI double on the following pitch.

The Titanes called Caballero from the bullpen, but Ronald Rivera got to his fourth pitch with a two-run home run and put the Tigres ahead.

They didn't need to look back. Yeris Gonzalez, Leonardo Crawford and Walter Lopez retired 14 consecutive batters, combining 4.2 perfect innings. Gonzalez earned the win.

BOX SCORE

Day 3 - Thursday April 10

14:00 Leñadores-Cougars
19:30 Diablos Rojos-Tigres

all times are local