L to R-Ellerstina/Piaget-Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Mariano Aguerre and Nicolas Pieres.
They didn’t come out of the blocks looking like the 2012 defending Tortugas Open championship team that is looking for their seventh consecutive title as the fell behind 4-0 after the first two chukkers of play. Ellerstina/Piaget (Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Mariano Aguerre and Nicolás Pieres) bounced back to outscore Alegria (Pablo Pieres, Lucas Monteverde, Hilario Ulloa and Frederick Mannix) 16-7 in the final five chukkers for the 16-11 win. The victory designated Ellerstina/Piaget as the first team to qualify for the finals of the Tortugas Open, with a semifinal game between La Dolfina (Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martín Nero) and La Natividad (Sapo Caset, Nachi Heguy, Rodrigo Andrade and Lolo Castagnola) on Sunday scheduled to decide the other tournament finalist.
Alegria looked like a world beater in the opening chukker as they scored three consecutive goals and shut down the high-powered Ellerstina/Piaget attack of the Pieres brothers.
Two more unanswered goals in the second period had Alegria sitting on top of a 5-0 lead. Ellerstina/Piaget struggled to get on track and seemed content to let a hustling Alegria team have their way in the opening two chukkers.
Ellerstina/Piaget awoke in the third chukker, scoring five consecutive goals while holding Alegria scoreless. At the end of the third it was all even at 5-5.
Ellerstina/Piaget were now energized and entered the fourth chukker with purpose and direction. Four more goals had Alegria trailing 9-6 at the end of the first half.
The two teams traded goals in the fifth with Ellerstina/Piaget holding the three goal lead at 10-7.
Alegria continued to press the attack, but Ellerstina/Piaget fought back. Ellerstina/Piaget added two goals and Alegria did the same. After six chukkers of play Ellerstina/Piaget stubbornly held the on to the lead, 12-9.
Ellerstina/Piaget put an exclamation mark on the final chukker of the match outscoring Alegria 4-2. Alegria was unable to make a final comeback and fell 16-11 as Ellerstina/Piaget celebrated the victory.
Ellerstina/Piaget will wait for the results of Sunday’s match between La Dolfina and La Natividad to see who they will be facing in the tournament finals that are scheduled to be played on Saturday, October 12th.