MEXICO CITY – Yogi Berra would have loved Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, where no lead is safe and no game is ever over until it’s over.
Down 5-2 early, the Kane County Cougars of the American Association roared back to take a 9-6 win from the Dantos de Managua behind a pinch hit, three-run homer in the eighth by Jabari Henry, finishing round robin play 4-0 at the 2026 Baseball Champions League, ensuring themselves a spot in Sunday’s championship game.
Henry’s dinger, which barely cleared the center field wall, was the kind of homer that happens often in the thin air of Mexico City.
“All I was trying to do was put the ball in play, try to get the sac fly,” Henry said. “So as soon as I hit it, I was like, ‘OK, I got the job done.’ Then I see the center fielder keep going. I was like, ‘Oh.’ And then it went out,” Henry said. The homer, which came with one out in the eighth, capped a game where the Cougars scored seven runs against the Dantos bullpen.
Josh Rehwaldt led off the second for the Cougars with a double, got to third when Max Murphy followed him with a single and scored on Armond Upshaw’s sacrifice fly to right field to give the Cougars and 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
After Brandon Leyton drew a walk to lead off the top of the third for the Dantos, consecutive singles to Benjamin Alegria and Emanuel Trujillo got him home to tie the game. A walk to Omar Mendoza loaded the bases with two outs, and another walk to Ofilio Castro scored Trujillo for a 2-1 lead after three, and Cougars starter Jake Dykhoff, struggling with command, was done, having allowed two runs on five hits and three walks, striking out three.
Kane County’s Elvis Peralta led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer to right center, tying the game at two.
On came Charlie Hasty for the Cougars, but he, too, struggled to command the ball, giving up one-out singles to Bismarck Rivera and Brandon Leyton before Benjamin Alegria’s sac fly to right got Rivera home for a 3-2 Dantos lead. Trujillo followed Alegria with a moonshot two-run homer to make it 5-2.
Despite falling behind early, the Cougars were never out of the game.
“I think we just stayed even keel this whole tournament, you know, especially playing in this ballpark. We know we’re going to score runs,” said Cougars left fielder Dillon Thomas after the game. “So, you know, two, three runs that we know that’s not going to hold us. We just have to, you know, keep the line moving, keep getting guys on and just keep swinging the bat. And, you know, we’ve done it all tournaments. So I don’t think there was ever any panic.”
Clutch hitting in the sixth got the Cougars back within a run. A one-out single by Armond Upshaw scored Todd Lott, who led off the inning with a walk, all the way from first, and then a double by Jaxx Groshans to left center scored Upshaw to make it 5-4.
For the third time in the game, Elvis Peralta reached base to lead off an inning, drawing a walk to start the bottom of the seventh. He scored on a double by Josh Allen, and then Thomas poked a single the opposite way into left field off Dantos reliever Stanling Orozco to score Allen and give the Cougars a 6-5 lead.
“I was ready for a fastball, just trying to catch something out front. He ended up throwing the fastball, I think for a strike two, and I swung through it,” Thomas said. “Now just try and put something in play, have a good at bat, hopefully move the guy over. And he just threw something I could handle and just kind of flipped it out there.”
The lead was short-lived, though, with the Dantos tying the game on a two-out double by William Rayo in the top of the eighth that scored Brandon Leyton from second.
Consecutive singles by Max Murphy and Upshaw started the bottom of the eighth for Kane County, with both advancing on a sacrifice bunt to third by Jaxx Groshans. Needing some pop, Tsamis sent Jabari Henry to the plate to pinch hit for No. 9-hitter Sam Dexter, and Henry battled through a seven-pitch at-bat and hit a 3-2 fastball to center that caught the wind and carried the wall, putting the Cougars into Sunday’s championship game.
“I think all hitters, no matter if you’re a contact or power hitter, love hitting here, because the ball definitely flies here” Henry said of Estadio Alfredo harp Helu.”I wish this was everybody’s home field right here – Not the pitchers, but for the hitters.”
Drenched from a celebratory Gatorade bath from his teammates, Henry was all smiles following the come-from-behind win.
“Everybody was up still, because we know this offense is, I feel like, one of the best in the league,” Henry said of the In the world, I think we could probably be in the major leagues hitting. So I believe in our team and we’re all just up and we knew we’re going to come back.”
Tomorrow, they’ll face an opponent yet to be determined for the Baseball Champions League title.
Where to Watch – GameTime, the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s official streaming platform, will stream every game live. A full tournament pass is available for US$12.99, while a Championship Day pass is priced at US$9.99. Daily access for each round-robin day is available for US$7.99.
The 2026 Baseball Champions League will also be broadcast on television. ESPN will broadcast all 11 games in Mexico, while Canal 13 VIVA will carry the games in Nicaragua, Meridiano Televisión will televise the event in Venezuela, and Tele Rebelde will carry the games in Cuba.
2026 Baseball Champions League Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
All games at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, Mexico City
March 24
Dantos de Managua 17, CTBC Brothers 5
Kane County Cougars 14, Diablos Rojos del Mexico 7
March 25
Cocodrilos de Matanzas 9, CTBC Brothers 8
Diablos Rojos del Mexico 10, Dantos de Managua 6
March 26
Kane County Cougars 16, CTBC Brothers 10
Dantos de Managua 16, Cocodrilos de Matanzas 6
March 27
Kane County Cougars 9, Cocodrilos de Matanzas 0
Diablos Rojos del Mexico 12, CTBC Brothers 4
March 28
Kane County Cougars 9, Dantos de Managua 7
6 p.m. – Cocodrilos de Matanzas vs. Diablos Rojos del Mexico
March 29
4 p.m. – Championship Game
Photo: Jabari Henry celebrates his pinch-hit three-run homer against the Dantos de Nicaragua. (Photo Courtesy of the American Association)
