Ellerstina to defend its 2011 Tortugas Open title with 15-13win over Pilara
By Alex Webbe
The weather finally cleared enough for Ellerstina to earnthe right to defend its 2011 title and knock Pilara Piaget out of the running for the2012 Tortugas Open in at the Tortugas Country Club in Buenos Aires Saturday afternoonbefore an enthusiastic and polo-hungry crowd that have been waiting for daysfor play to resume.
Ellerstina took control early, forging out to a 4-2 leadafter the opening chukker, but Pilara Piaget stormed back.
Pilara picked up goals from Paco de Narvaez and SebastianMerlos in the second, cutting the Ellerstina lead to a single goal, 7-6.
Pilara tied it up, 7-7, with a penalty shot to open thethird period, but Ellerstina was quick to respond. Two penalty goals from Facundo Pieres closedout the scoring and gave Ellerstina a two goal, 9-7 advantage after three.
Pilara took advantage of a penalty on Ellerstina to openthe fourth chukker, converted a penalty shot and cut the lead back to a singlegoal, 9-8. Facundo Pieres converted a30-yard penalty shot for a goal, Ellerstina 10-8. Facundo Pieres added a 40-yard penalty shotas well as Ellerstina stretched its lead to three goals, 11-8. Pilara closed out the chukker strongly withde Narvaez converting a 60-yard penalty shot followed by a goal from thefield. Sebastian Merlos tallied thefinal goal of the chukker on a beautifully-executed neck-shot, and it was alleven at 11-11.
Facundo Pieres scored the only goal of the fifth chukkeras Ellerstina broke the tie and move ahead, 12-11.
Two more Facundo Pieres penalty conversions gaveEllerstina a 14-12 lead. Pilara cut thelead to a single goal once again, 14-13, but Gonzalito Pieres closed out thescoring with a goal from the field for a 15-13 advantage, a margin that wouldhold up through a defensive final chukker of play for the ultimate win forEllerstina and an opportunity to defend its Tortugas Open title against thewinner of Sunday’s La Dolfina-La Aguada semifinal match.