Sasamoto hits grand slam in Law & Order win

Centerfielder Derek Sasamoto connected on a grand slam to lead Law & Order to a 23-8 demolition of the Mayor’s Office in the 2008 Budweiser Inter Government/Business Softball League Thursday night Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

Sasamoto made the rare feat in the fifth inning, which saw Law & Order capping its long-game dominance of the Mayor’s Office with an 11-run top of the fifth.

Sasamoto finished the game with five RBIs, as he had a one-run triple in the first inning. He went 3-for-4 at the plate scoring two runs.

Before Sasamoto’s grand slam, pitcher Tom Sakuma blasted a three-run homer, also at the top of the fifth inning, to finish 3-for-3 at-bat. Sakuma also nailed three runs.

Law & Order scored six runs apiece in the first and fourth inning before saving the best for last with Sasamoto and Sakuma hitting big.

Extra hitter Eldin Dela Cruz also went 3-for-3 and scored two runs and one RBI.

Robert Guerrero and Joe Tudela both went 2-for-2 for the Mayor’s Office, which dropped to a 0-2 start.

Duplicating Law & Order’s easy victory were the Beach Boys, who also needed only five innings to whip Hopwood, 15-1.

J.R. Suel went 3-for-3 at-bat for the Beach Boys, connecting on a two-run homer at the top of the fourth inning. He also scored two runs. First baseman B.J. Sablan was also flawless at-bat, hitting 3-for-3 and making two RBIs.

Steve Igisair pitched in no relief for the Beach Boys, allowing Hopwood to only five hits in the first three innings and giving up no runs.

Pitcher Mario Palacios scored Hopwood’s lone run in the game at the bottom of the fourth inning on a John Pulur single. Palacios did a great job on the mound for Hopwood in the first two innings, allowing only three hits and giving up one run.

But it was a different story in the third inning, as the Beach Boys scored one run after another taking advantage of Hopwood’s fielding and passing errors. The Beach Boys recorded nine runs at the top of the third to pull away, 10-0.

The similar wins gave Law & Order and the Beach Boys identical 2-0 record and put them in a share of the lead with Freedom Air, the Joeten Motors Jets, and Legislature.

The loss was Hopwood’s second in as many games.

In other results, the Commonwealth Health Center notched a close 12-10 win over POI.

Leftfielder Lefty Shiro and shortstop Vince Rabauliman both hit 3-for-4 at the plate. Second baseman Bradle Ngiwakl was 1-for-4, but made a two-run double at the top of the third, where CHC had its most runs with five.

Frank Torres and Joe Duenas added one run apiece in the fourth inning to give CHC a 10-7 lead, and despite failing to score in the last three innings, CHC managed to escape with a two-run win on a double play at the bottom of the seventh inning.

POI was threatening to steal the win when it moved within two after six and a half innings. Luis Camacho led off at the bottom of the seventh, but was beaten to first.

Byron Sablan singled to keep POI’s hopes alive, but not for long, as he was beaten to second base after third batter Mabel Ngirngemelas was tagged out to first.

POI is winless after two games joining six other teams at the bottom of the team standings in the 20-squad field.