The Tigres del Licey wrote a new chapter in Dominican baseball history on the night of October 21, 2026. Seven pitchers combined to shut out the Toros del Este 3-0 at Estadio Francisco A. Micheli in La Romana — the franchise’s fifth no-hitter and the 12th in LIDOM history. But the number that makes this one stand alone is seven: in 72 years of organized Dominican winter ball, no no-hitter had ever required more than five pitchers. This one used seven.
Seven Arms, One Clean Game
- Luis Gil started and worked 2.1 innings.
- Randell Clemente followed with two-thirds of an inning and earned the win (1-0).
- Alexander Cornielle covered two full innings.
- Michael Arias, Luis Frías, and Wander Suero each handled one inning.
- Jean Carlos Mejía closed the ninth and picked up the save.
Collectively, the seven strikeouts out 10 batters and issued just three walks. Bryce Conley took the loss for the Toros (0-1), who fell to 3-2. Licey climbed to 4-1 and first place.
Jean Carlos Mejía and the Toros: A Pattern
There’s a detail that doesn’t show up in the box score but makes this game even more remarkable. Mejía already closed a Licey no-hitter against the Toros del Este before — on November 1, 2022, also at Estadio Micheli, in a 2-0 win. That means every no-hitter the Toros have ever suffered came from the same team, at the same ballpark, with the same closer finishing the job.
Five No-Hitters Across Seven Decades
Licey’s no-hit history spans more than 70 years:
- May 29, 1954 — Diómedes ‘Guayubín’ Olivo vs. Escogido
- November 22, 1991 — Dennis Springer vs. Estrellas
- January 14, 2008 — Ervin Santana, Dámaso Marte and Carlos Mármol combined in the postseason vs. Estrellas
- 2022 — Five pitchers combined vs. Toros del Este
- October 21, 2026 — Seven pitchers combined vs. Toros del Este
The franchise — founded in 1907, with 24 Dominican titles and 11 Caribbean Series championships — remains the all-time leader in LIDOM no-hitters. No other Dominican team has five.
Why This One Goes Beyond the Standings
The 2026-2027 LIDOM season opened on October 16. Five days in, Licey already owns the biggest moment of the young campaign. First place at 4-1 matters, but this is the kind of game people will be referencing 20 years from now. The next time someone asks when a Dominican team last threw a combined no-hitter with seven pitchers, there’s only one answer: Licey. La Romana. October 21, 2026. The first time it ever happened.
