Havana, March 24 (RHC) – The three Cuban members of the Diablos Rojos Femenil team were runners-up in the III Mexican Softball League (LMS).
In the so-called Queen’s Series (final phase), the Scarlet team was defending the crown they had won the previous season. Their roster included left-handed pitcher Yilian Tornés, shortstop and third baseman Leannelys Zayas, and center fielder Elizabeth Robert.
The team, coached by Venezuelan Denisse Fuenmayor, had topped the regular season standings. But in their pursuit of the gold medal, they couldn’t overcome the momentum of their rival, the Sultanes de Monterrey Femenil, who won three games and only lost one.
Down 1-2, they tried to even the score in the fourth game with American starter Carley Hoover. But it was all for naught, as they fell by a 12-1 knockout at their home stadium, Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.
Hoover only managed to complete one inning and left the game trailing 0-3.
Tornés came to their rescue, and despite a dream qualifying round, she couldn’t contain the Monterrey offense, which scored the remaining nine runs.
The left-handed pitcher from Granma allowed seven hits, five of them extra-base hits, including a home run by Baylee Klingler.
The Diablos Rojos Femenil’s bats were silent on this decisive day against the pitches of starter Katerina Kindermannova and reliever Payton Gottshall.
The only run came on a solo home run by Jazmyn Jackson.
This was the Sultanes Femenil’s third consecutive final, having lost last season to the Diablos Rojos Femenil.
