Patriots continue to shine in Major Division

There’s little doubt why the Patriots are the talk of the town as the Saipan Little League Baseball Association’s top team has standout players on both sides of the plate that can turn a game in a blink of an eye.

With a perfect 10-0 record, the Patriots have dispatched all comers with a perfect blend of hitting, fielding, and cool demeanors in the dugout. They show no signs of slowing down either with hitters like Anthony Salas (.690), Jeremy Rabauliman (.667), and Brian Camacho (.538).

Camacho is also one of the league’s top pitchers and boasts the second-best earned run average with a mere 1.48 through 24 and a third innings of work on the hill. The kid has 45 strikeouts to his credit and trails only teammate Joseph Palacios in the ERA race.

Palacios rules the roost with a 0.92 ERA through 19 and two thirds on the mound, and both of the hurlers sport identical 4-0 records for their efforts.

Kagman 1-2-3 is not all that far behind in second place at 8-2, and with a pair of games in hand, they look to be every bit as dangerous as the Pats. Ever since the homesteaders added Marsnjo Wabol to the lineup on a regular basis they have noticed a spike in their offensive production. Now Wabol leads all hitters with four homeruns and has the league’s fourth-best batting average with a stellar .611, and is joined by teammate Benjamin Hocog (.500) on the list of standout sluggers.

The duo packs plenty of power at the plate, but Kagman has another one-two punch on the hill as Ignacio Benavente and Richard Dela Cruz have already made names for themselves.

Benavente has fanned 40 would-be hitters and has a 3.52 ERA through 25 and two-thirds innings, while Dela Cruz has fanned 47 and has a 4.04 ERA in 22 and a third through five games.

At 7-2, the Hustlers have every bit as much room for optimism as Kagman, but the defending champions also have the league’s top hitter in Anthony Manalo. With a near perfect .720, Manalo has had opposing pitchers throwing fits, and he turns nearly half of his hits into doubles.

While he is lighting up the scoreboard, teammate Daylinne Joseph is making sure their opponents don’t follow suit. Joseph has the league’s third-lowest earned run average (1.64) and has been showing the boys her stuff through parts of seven games this year.

With a perfect 3-0 record, Joseph is clearly her team’s top pitcher, and they plan to take full advantage of her talents through the remainder of the season.

McDonald’s is close by at 6-3, and ordered the same type of combo that has fit the bill for most of the top teams by serving up big time hitters and super-sized pitchers.

Nathan Guerrero (.600) and Jonah Villagomez (.550) are cruising along at the plate with consistent contact but Peter Tenorio is on a crash course with the league’s strikeout record.

So far Tenorio has the league’s highest total with 63 strikeouts, and his 2.40 ERA through 30 innings is nothing to laugh at either. This “sure thing” all-star has carried much of the load thus far, but his teammates are more than ready to add the special sauce in the post-season.

The Tanapag Braves are the last of the winning teams, but the talented squad is walking a fine line at 6-5. Nobody disputes their ability, but standout slugger Charito Kladikm (.563) and crafty pitcher Lamarc Iguel (3.55 ERA) will need some help from the role players if the Braves have a shot at the pennant.

Zachary Aldan (.520) and Vince Castro (.500) are also in need of some help from the dugout if the As Matuis are to break free from the losing ranks, but the 4-5 squad possesses the talent on the diamond to make them a serious threat.

The same goes for the 3-7 Toyota Matrix who have twin towers Rocco Reyes and Harry Nakamura. Reyes has nine doubles, three triples, 16 runs batted in, 16 runs scored, and a .516 batting average while Nakamura shares the league lead with 63 strikeouts on the hill. All they have to do is get their teammates to rally behind them and they can scare some teams.

The Pirates (2-7), Red Sox (2-10), and Ol’ Aces (1-8) have had little success midway through the season, but even the last-place Aces have found a diamond in the rough with Roky Matagolai and his .545 batting average. While the trio hasn’t had success in the win column, all of the kids are having a fun.