Gigantes win Nicaraguan Pro Baseball League crown in six games
The Gigantes de Rivas won the final series of the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (LBPN, Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional), defeating the Tigres de Chinandega to close out the best-of-seven series in six games.
🌊 ¡Los Gigantes de Rivas campeones de la Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional 2020—2021!🏆 💪🎉🥳🎆🎇 pic.twitter.com/7YOcbSV3HR
— BEISBOLNIC (@BeisbolNic) January 20, 2021
The Gigantes were the favourites of the 2020-21 LBPN season. They earned their third title at the Yamil Rios Stadium in Rivas. It marks the first time they claimed the title on home turf.
Yohan Flande, a 34-year-old Dominican lefthander with previous Major League Baseball (MLB) and Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) experience, earned two wins in the series, including Game Six, and shared MVP honours with Isaac Benard, a 24-year-old outfielder born in the US and who was on Nicaragua's roster at the Pan Am Games 2019. Benard batted in a record 11 runs in the six games, including four in the decider.
The Gigantes outscored and outhit the Tigres in Game Six. Cheslor Cuthbert, the 28-year-old slugging third baseman who appeared in over 300 MLB games, broke the tie with a home run in the bottom of the second.
LBPN Final Series scores
Gigantes @ Tigres 4-12Tigres @ Gigantes 2-5
Gigantes @ Tigres 6-8
Tigres @ Gigantes 5-6
Gigantes @ Tigres 11-7
Tigres @ Gigantes 3-16
GameTime.sport streamed as many as 34 LBPN games, for over 112 hours of air time.
