DCCA grounds Jets, DEQ, POI win

Defending champion Department of Community and Cultural Affairs won the battle of unbeaten teams, breezing past the Joeten Motors Jets, 17-7, in the Budweiser 2008 Inter-Government/Business Softball League at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

With the victory, DCCA improved its record to 3-0 to share the No. 1 spot with Freedom Air. The Jets dropped to a 2-1 slate for a share of third place with Law & Order.

The Beach Boys, Legislature, and Commonwealth Ports Authority are tied for second with identical 2-0 records.

Pitcher Mel Sakisat was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 and making three RBIs. Outfielder Pitter Camacho and leftfielder James Fleming went 2-for-3, while three players hit 2-for-4, including rightfielder Jun Saralu. Saralu scored three RBIs making a two-run single in the fifth inning.

DCCA went 21-for-40 at the plate for a batting average of .487.

The defending champion was leading by only two, 9-7, after five complete innings when it shut out the Jets in the last two for a 10-run triumph.

DCCA scored several runs on the Jets errors. Sakisat, who pitched in no relief for the defending champion, allowed only two hits in the last two innings while DCCA’s outfielders hustled for the ball to hand the Jets their first loss in this season.

In other results, POI and DEQ/CRM broke into the win column in the men’s division.

DEQ/CRM nipped Pacific Islands Club, 20-13, in six and a half innings.

Extra hitter Jacob Lizama was the top performer for DEQ/CRM, going 4-for-4 at the plate, including a two-run homer at the bottom of the sixth.

Lizama’s fellow extra hitter was also perfect at-bat, making 2-for-2 and scoring two runs, while centerfielder Ed Manibusan hit 4-for-5 nailing three runs.

Leading by only three, 12-9, after three and a half innings, a seven-run bottom of the fourth anchored by J.P. Flores’ two-run single allowed DEQ/CRM to pull away, 19-9.

PIC never recovered from that point on, scoring only in the fifth and sixth inning.

DEQ/CRM claimed its first win in three games, while PIC dropped its third in as many matches.

In the last game of the night, POI topped Hopwood, 20-9.

Shortstop Gail Kaipat connected on a three-run homer at the top of the fourth inning and scored seven RBIs to put POI in the win column. Kaipat added three singles and made four runs.