Alfonso Urquiola and the Federales de Chiriquí are champions of Panamanian baseball

November 23, 2021

Alfonso Urquiola and the Federales de Chiriquí proclaimed themselves champions of the 78th National Championship of Major League Baseball, Copa Caliente, of Panamá.

Urquiola's disciples dethroned the strong Panamá Metro team in the final, who finished second in group B in the qualifying stage with a record of six wins and three losses.

In the title dispute, Alfonso Urquiola's ninth inning team settled the action in game six of the playoffs and only lost on two occasions to Metro.

The victories came with scores of 4×2 (November 9), 11×7 (November 11), 17×7 (November 14) and 11×3 (November 15).

It is the second consecutive championship for the Federales de Chiriquí, since in 2020 they also reached the top of the podium.

Chiriquí finished as runner-up in section B in the first stage with seven wins and three losses, only surpassed by Darién (8-2).

In the sixth and final game of the final, Chiriquí started losing in the first inning, but in the third they reacted to tie it and go ahead after the offensive contributions of Einstein Gutiérrez and Luis Jordán.

The final sentence came in the eighth inning where those led by Urquiola manufactured four runs and buried Panamá Metro's hopes of extending the dispute to a seventh game.

The best at the plate for the winners were: Ariel Serrano 5-3 with 3 runs, Jonathan Saavedra 5-2, Einstein Gutiérrez 5-3, Luis Jordan 5-2 with a home run and three RBIs.

Alfonso Urquiola was the architect of Chiriquí reaching their 16th title in history, tying Herrera in second place for most championships won in major national baseball.

The Lightning of Bahía Honda, as Bobby Salamanca nicknamed him, has been the manager of Pinar del Río's recent triumphs both inside and outside the country.

Urquiola won in Series 37, 50, 53, and furthermore, he won the Caribbean Series in the year 2015.