THREE HITS, TWO RUNS FOR FRANCO AS YAQUIS ROLL AGAIN

Iker Franco (pictured) collected three hits (including two doubles) and scored twice to lead the Obregon Yaquis to a 7-4 win over Guasave on Saturday before another sellout crowd of 13,000 at Estadio Tomas Oroz Gaytan in Obregon. The Yaquis now have a 2-games-to-0 lead over the Algodoneros in the Mexican Pacific League championship series.

Obregon scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning when Franco and Carlos Valencia slashed back-to-back doubles before Barbaro Canizares launched a homer to left. Guasave put two on the board in the third on RBI singles by Leo Heras and Jose Rodriguez, but Victor Diaz’ run-scoring double in the third and Daniel Fornes’ solo homer in the fourth made it a 5-2 contest. The Cottoneers got two back in the sixth on a Yurendell de Caster homer, but Obregon out the game away when Franco doubled and scored on a Valencia single in the bottom of the sixth and Everth Cabrera plated a run on a Diaz grounder in the seventh to close the scoring at 7-4 Yaquis as Rolando Valdez got his third win of the playoffs and Luis Ayala picked up his seventh postseason save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The two teams move to Guasave for Game Three of the finals on Monday night.