Los Gallos Win the Pennant!!!

Okay, so it took me two times to get it right.....the Gallos of Sancti Spiritus have finally put Group B to bed on the second to last day of the regular season. Industriales' pitcher Frank Montieth uncorked a wild pitch with a runner on third in the bottom of the ninth, dealing a crushing 6-5 defeat to his club at the hands of La Habana, and leaving the door open for Lourdes Gourriel's club to win and take home the division crown.

It was up to outstanding Gallos' starter Ramon Licor to bring home the win for Sancti Spiritus and the pennant. Licor delivered beautifully with 8 innings of 1 run baseball. He scattered 6 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 4, before handing the ball to Danny Perez for a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth and a convincing 10-1 victory. There were several hitting stars in the ballgame, as you might imagine with a score in double digits, but we can again point to the heroics of catcher Eriel Sanchez(at left) who went 1-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs, and soon-to-be MVP Yulieski Gourriel who was 2-4 with a home run(26) and a triple(11) and 3 runs batted in.

The final game of the season is a moot point for Sancti Spiritus and we will recap with an eye on the playoffs just ahead when we post tomorrow. A more comprehensive look at Yulieski Gourriel's complete season will be featured shortly in a "Gourriel Watch" special feature.