BCL 2025 | The Las Tunas Lumberjacks avenged their previous loss to the Kane County Cougars with a 17-10 victory, securing their place in the Champions League of the Americas final

The Las Tunas Lumberjacks avenged their loss to the Kane County Cougars from last Thursday by defeating the North American team 17-10 this Friday in the first semifinal of the II Champions League of the Americas, held at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in Mexico City.

Box score

This marks the first time a Cuban team has reached the final in this competition, which started in 2023, a year when Granma ended up in last place with one victory and two defeats.

In a game where the starting pitchers didn't shine, the Leñadores excelled both offensively and with their bullpen, securing the win in the first half.

Following the first two innings, the Cougars were ahead 2-1, initially due to a solo home run by Justice Bell in the first inning...

followed by a double from Allen Adolph and two fielder's choices in the second inning, which put them ahead...

After Rafael Viñales hit a home run in the second inning, Cuba evened the score...

The Tuneros unleashed a barrage against right-handed starter Landen Bourassa (0-1), delivering eight hits in the third inning. This offensive surge featured a single by Yoelkis Guiber with two runners on base to even the score, followed by a three-run homer from Yosvani Alarcón that gave Las Tunas a 5-2 lead. A single from Viñales, a double by Yordanis Alarcón, and a single by catcher Andrys Pérez further extended the advantage to 7-2.

Ultimately, back-to-back singles by Yuniesky Larduet and Roel Santos, along with a wild pitch in between, added two more runs in the inning, establishing a 9-2 lead.

By the end of the inning, Bourassa had departed the mound, accountable for nine hits and eight earned runs, leading to their loss.

When the Cougars responded with three runs in the bottom of the third inning against Cuban right-hander Yadián Martínez, Las Tunas maintained their determination for victory by scoring three more in the fourth inning against reliever Westin McKenna Muir. In this inning, with one out, Viñales hit his second home run of the game, followed by a single from Roberto Baldoquín, an RBI triple by Yordanis Alarcón, and a single by Andrys Pérez.

In the fifth inning, Las Tunas scored once more. After one out, Guibert hit a single to right field, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then crossed home plate on a single by Yosvani Alarcón, who recorded his fourth RBI of the afternoon.

Nevertheless, the Cuban starter's performance was quite disappointing. After pitching an scoreless fourth inning, Yadián was unable to secure an out in the fifth. The inning started with Dayson Croes hitting a solo home run, followed by a single from cleanup hitter Max Murphy and a home run by Thomas Dillon, which forced the Cuban off the mound. As a result, the right-hander ended with a disastrous four-inning start, giving up nine hits for eight runs, five of which were earned, along with five strikeouts and one walk, resulting in a no-decision.

Nonetheless, left-hander Dariel Góngora's inning provided no relief for the Cuban bullpen. Góngora, who has struggled with Las Tunas in this Champions League, started off by allowing a hit to Josh Allen. After Adolph's grounder resulted in the first out by forcing Allen at second base, a double from Nick Dalesandro reduced the lead to 13-9, still in favor of Las Tunas.

Coach Abeicy Pantoja promptly called upon his bullpen once more, bringing in right-hander Frank L. Medina. The reliever from Pinar del Río, who had previously struggled against the Cougars last Thursday, conceding six hits and five runs in just 1 2/3 innings, redeemed himself this time with an outstanding relief performance. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and one run, while striking out five and walking one, securing the win. During his outing, Medina faced 17 batters and retired 13. He struck out three in the sixth inning, one in the seventh, and another in the ninth, the latter for the final out of the game clinching the victory for the Lumberjacks. Medina's sole mistake occurred in the eighth inning when Brantley J. Bell hit a solo home run off him.

Ultimately, Las Tunas advanced to the finals thanks to their strong offense and clutch pitching. Today, the Cuban team had 23 hits, holding their spot as the leading team in the tournament with a total of 90 hits. Their slash line of .492/.550/.792 remains the best among all teams. From runs scored (74), to doubles (20), home runs (11), RBIs (71), and total bases (145), Las Tunas has clearly been the most formidable offensive team in this Champions League. Their pitching has also been crucial, especially in key moments. While yesterday's game, which determined a semifinal spot, was dominated by Yera's starting performance and the bullpen's efforts, today it was Medina who led the team with a performance that completely shut down the Cougars, the tournament's second-best offensive team.

Los Leñadores now have to wait for the outcome of the second semifinal game between the Santa Maria Pirates from Curaçao and the Diablos Rojos from Mexico. At the time this was written, the Diablos Rojos were leading 9-1 in the fourth inning.

The final is this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. (Cuban and Eastern Time) at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in Mexico City.