Red Sox stun Ol’Aces

The Red Sox pulled of a 2-1 upset over the league-leading Ol’Aces in the Major division of the 2009 Saipan Little League Baseball Sunday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

Second baseman Craig Aguon scored the winning run on a wild pitch from Jeremy Lizama to hand Ol’Aces its first loss of the season.

Despite the defeat, Ol’Aces still leads the league with a 10-1 mark, but the Red Sox (9-2) and three other teams are fast catching up. The Hustlers are half a game behind Ol’Aces with their 10-2 slate, the Jets hold a 9-2 mark, and the Dragons have an 8-3 slate.

Neither the Red Sox nor Ol’Aces scored in the first four innings of the game, as Lizama was all business on the mound, tallying eight strikeouts. Ol’Aces pitcher Keene Guerrero also held his ground, striking out seven.

Ol’Aces made it first to the scoreboard at the top of the fifth inning with shortstop Jessie Brel reaching home plate on a passed ball. Earlier, Guerrero struck out leadoff batter Zachary Yamagishi and then ended the top of the fifth inning with another strikeout for the former’s ninth in the game.

Red Sox tied the game at the bottom of the fifth with first baseman Nathan Sablan scoring on an Ol’Aces error.

At the top of the last inning, Ol’Aces’ first two batters were beaten to first, while Guerrero struck out the third batter for the third out.

Lizama answered at the bottom of the last inning with a strikeout on leadoff batter Jobe Reyes and then walked Aguon. Catcher Brett Halstead was beaten to first, but not before Aguon advanced to second.

Aguon moved to third on a passed ball, while teammate Alex Monkeya was at-bat. Then Lizama committed a costly error, allowing Aguon to reach home plate for the game-winning run.

In the third game in the Majors, the Survivors walloped IT&E, 11-1.

The Survivors improved to a 6-5 record, while IT&E remained at the cellar of the 14-team field with its 1-10 mark.

Relief pitcher Caleb Takao did a good relief job on starter Gayvan Uchau at the bottom of the second inning, as the former had a no-hitter, posted eight strikeouts and walked one.

The only time IT&E scored was at the bottom of the first with John Auther’s single driving Berneil Taisacan home.

In the first game, Cody Kaipat had nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched to lead the Hustlers to an 8-1 triumph over the Little Lions.

The win moved the Hustlers to solo second place with their 10-2 mark. The Little Lions are at the bottom half of the team standings with their 2-9 slate.

LaMarc Iguel went 4-for-5 at bat to lift Ol’Aces to a 10-7 win over Lion Heart in one of the two make-up games in the Junior division played Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

Iguel had two RBIs and a double in the match that was first played on Feb. 15, but was rained out at the bottom of the fourth with the game tied at 5-all.

Ol’Aces’ defense held Lion Heart to only two runs in the last three innings to secure the win. The Ol’Aces leaned on a three-run top of the fifth to seize control of the game and added two more in the sixth inning for more cushion.

In another make-up game, the Red Sox topped D-9ers, 7-3.

A.J. Lizama pitched in 5.2 innings, struck out five, allowed only three hits, gave up three runs, and walked four.

After giving up three runs in the first four innings, the Red Sox’s defense stepped up in the last three, shutting out the D-9ers.