LOS MOCHIS, SINALOA. Powered by a fiery offensive attack led by Rosman Verdugo and a solid starting performance from Luis Cessa, the Tomateros de Culiacán defeated the Cañeros de Los Mochis 10-2 at Chevron Park to take Game 1 of the series.
The Guinda offense struck early in the second inning when Rosman Verdugo put Culiacán ahead with a three-run home run to left field, his first blast of the campaign.
In the fifth frame, Tomateros damaged the home side once again via the long ball as Ponchito Ruiz made it a 4-1 ballgame with a solo shot.
The offense kept its rhythm in the sixth inning, starting with back-to-back walks to Luis Roberto Verdugo and Fernando Villegas. With two runners aboard, Rosman Verdugo delivered again, lining an RBI single to right field to drive in a pair of runs and extend the lead to 6-1.
Lorenzo Bundy’s squad put the game out of reach with late attacks in the eighth and ninth frames. In the eighth, Orlando Martínez hit an extra-base hit to bring home both JP Martínez and Fabricio Macías. An inning later, Ichiro Cano ripped a two-run double to set the final 10-2 score.
Right-hander Luis Cessa earned the win in his first start of the season, shining through five complete innings while allowing just two hits and one run.
The Tomateros bullpen also got the job done on the mound, as David Gutiérrez, Robert Gsellman, Sasagi Sánchez, and Francisco Haro combined to protect the lead and secure the victory.
The series continues this Saturday at 6:00 PM. The scheduled pitching matchup for Game 2 features Ricardo Estrada for Culiacán against Fabián Cota for Los Mochis.