CNMI sluggers beat odds in Pacific Games

The CNMI Baseball Team was the last squad to make it to the playoffs in the 2011 Pacific Games, but ended up in first place to win the gold medal in New Caledonia.

“The CNMI had the hard road to success (they had to win three games in two days), but with very good hitting, excellent fielding, and an outstanding pitching performance by Josh Jones they won the gold. Congratulations to Tony Rogolifoi and Rose Igitol, all your work and efforts have paid dividends for the CNMI,” a statement from the Baseball Confederation of Oceania website read.

The Commonwealth sluggers struggled when the baseball competition started and scratched out a hard-earned 1-0 win over erstwhile defending champion Palau. Then the CNMI bets faced New Caledonia and after the visitors controlled majority of the match, the host team went on to steal the win in the last inning, 3-2.

Rogolifoi’s wards suffered back-to-back losses after bowing to archrival Guam, 5-6, and the defeat put the CNMI in danger of not making it to the Top 4, as Fiji was lurking around, hoping for another mistake from the Commonwealth bets.

The CNMI snapped the skid with a 9-4 win over American Samoa and foiled Fiji’s bid to advance to the Final Four with a tough 2-1 victory.

In a must-win match over Fiji, Jerome Delos Santos and Joshua Jones teamed-up in the game-winning play at the bottom of the eighth inning. Jones singled to center field, advanced to second on a bunt, and made it home for the victory off Jerome Delos Santos single to left field.

After catching the last trip to the playoffs, Jones and company had only a day’s rest to prepare for the next round. Guam and Palau, which finished the elimination round tied on top with similar 4-1 records, started the playoffs with the former winning, 4-0, to gain the first finals berth. In Day 2 of the playoffs, CNMI had to play not one, but two matches with the first match set for 9am and the second at 1pm.

The Commonwealth sluggers went on to eliminate New Caledonia, 11-5, and then dethroned Palau, 8-0, to book the second and last finals berth. In less than 24 hours, the CNMI bets returned to the field last Thursday and faced a well-rested Guam team in the gold medal match.

Slow start, strong finish

Vince Cepeda started for the CNMI in the finals and his shaky pitching allowed Guam to seize a 2-0 lead after two innings.

At the top of the third, the Commonwealth sluggers scored four runs. Keoni Lizama scored the first run off Mike Iguel’s line drive. Mike and brother Jesus, and Delos Santos also made it home off Guam’s errors to grab the lead, 4-2. Guam moved within one, 3-4, after scoring on a run at the bottom of the third.

It was the closest Guam could get after posting an early lead though, as Jones saved his best for last, relieving Cepeda in the fourth inning and shutting out the 2003 Pacific Games champion.

With Jones on the mound, Lizama, Omar, Juan Maratita, and Byron Kaipat took care of the batting business for the CNMI with their consistent hitting in the remaining five innings.

The CNMI sluggers completed the come-from-behind win and received their much-deserved gold medal during the awards ceremony at the Robinson Baseball Field in Mont-Dore

“The CNMI’s gold medal win is a terrific accomplishment, one that everyone in the CNMI can be proud of. It is the result of all of the hard work and sacrifices that our team put in. Their never-say-die attitude is an inspiration. Thanks to everyone who supported Team CNMI,” chef de mission and NMASA president Michael White said in an email to Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Rachel Abrams will conclude the CNMI’s bid in the Games today when she competes in the long jump at 9am (8am Saipan time).

A few more events are scheduled today and upon completion, the closing ceremony will start at 5pm. At the closing rites, New Caledonia is expected to turn over the Games flag to 2015 host Papua New Guinea.

At the penultimate day of the two-week Games, New Caledonia is way past the century mark in the gold medal standings with its 113 gold medals. The host has also collared 99 silver and 56 bronze to win the overall championship convincingly. Tahiti is a far second with its 57-41-39 gold-silver-bronze tally, while PNG (47-24-46) is at third.

As of 7pm yesterday, only the CNMI and the Federated States of Micronesia have won gold medals for Micronesia.