NMC caps regular season with win

Northern Marianas College played its last game in the regular season of the women’s division of the 2008-2009 Inter-Government/Business Slow-pitch Softball League and whipped Commonwealth Utilities Corp., 8-1, Tuesday at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

NMC ended the regular season with a 10-2 record to keep the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

The CUC-NMC game was actually scheduled for Feb. 27, but was reset due to a conflict of schedule.

In the make-up match, NMC allowed CUC to score only at the top of the fourth inning with Bobby Norita reaching home plate on a Dolorina Panuelo single.

NMC scored the first run of the game with Joyce Taro making it home on shortstop Jenny Palacios error. NMC went cold in the next two innings before it scored four runs in the fourth and three at the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on CUC’s fielding errors.

CUC absorbed its fifth loss in 11 games, dropping the team from second to third place in the team standings.

MEN’S
CHC 13, Jets 6

In the first make-up game in the men’s division, Commonwealth Health Center stunned the Joeten Motor Jets, 13-6.

CHC improved to a 5-10 record and handed the Jets their fifth loss in 17 games. The Jets and CHC were also supposed to meet on Feb. 27.

An eight-run bottom of the second sparked by centerfielder Ben Higgens’ two-run triple allowed CHC to take control of the game, leading at 11-2, after two complete innings.

The Jets never regained their bearings from thereon.

Higgens and leftfielder Lefty Shiro both went 2-for-4 at bat for CHC and had three RBIs each. Second baseman Bradley Ngiwakl was 3-for-4, scored two runs and had one RBI. CHC went 18-for-35 at the plate for a batting average of .514.

Leftfielder Ben Taisacan was perfect at bat for the Jets, hitting 3-for-3. He nailed three RBIs and had one double. Shorstop Cliff Sillil was 3-for-4, made one double, and recorded two RBIs.

CPA 12, CUC 9

In the last make-up game of the night, Commonwealth Ports Authority outlasted CUC, 12-9.

CPA was behind, 6-7, after three and a half innings when a six-run bottom of the fourth put the team in the lead, 12-7.

CUC moved within three, 9-12, as it shut out CPA in the fifth and sixth inning, while scoring two runs at the top of the sixth. But CPA kept the win with a double play at the top of the seventh.

Kel Kalen led off for CUC at the top of the last and advanced on a Jack Diaz error. CPA shortstop Mel Manahane caught a fly ball from second batter Tyrone Kileleman for the first out. Third batter and CUC catcher Roy Laniyo stepped upto the plate, but was beaten to first base. Diaz then threw the ball to second baseman Donald Pangelinan, who tagged Kalen out, ending the game in CPA’s favor.