CNMI splits two games in 18U Oceania Championship

The CNMI Junior National Baseball Team went winless in the first round of competition of the 2012 18 & Under Oceania AAA Championship, but finally hit pay dirt when the second leg of the double-round robin got going Monday.

After enduring a 2-8 loss to host team Guam on Sunday night, the CNMI finally entered the win column the next day thanks to a 4-2 victory over New Zealand (2-2) as action continued at Paseo Stadium,in Agana, Guam.

The win improved the Commonwealth’s win-loss slate to 1-3 with two games yet to play.

The CNMI faced top-ranked Australia in a home draw yesterday. Results were not available as of press time. Australia came into Monday night’s match against Guam undefeated in three games.

After two scoreless innings, the CNMI took a 4-0 lead in the third inning off a three-RBI double by Leroy Regis. He scored later off a wild throw.

New Zealand answered with a run in the bottom frame and added another run later in its final stand, but the CNMI held strong for the win.

Regis batted 1-for-3 and touched base twice in the match.

Other notables include a double by Ricardo Dela Cruz, who batted 2-for-3 in the game.

Regis led the CNMI both at the plate and on the mound.

The CNMI starting pitcher was awarded the win with just two strikeouts in the game.

He faced 31 batters before teammate Henry Rabauliman was tapped to close the game.

Regis managed five groundouts with eight fly outs on 113 pitches, 63 of which being called for a strike, and plunked two batters.

As a team, the CNMI smashed five hits, and although they gave up a handful of errors out in the field no hits were credited to their opponents.

Back on Sunday, Guam struck first with a run in the second inning and then jumped in front, 4-0, in the top of the fourth.

The CNMI managed to get a run back in the bottom frame, but Guam exploded again with three runs in the fifth inning, shifting the count to 7-1.

The CNMI mustered a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Guam got it back in the bottom of the seventh and shut the CNMI down in the final stand.

In the game, the CNMI was held to just three hits at the plate, one of which was an RBI triple by Regis. He went on to bat 2-for-3 and stole a base but also hit into a double play.

Most of the CNMI’s base runners reached on errors, but Guam did a good job minimizing the damage.

Guam racked up nine hits in the match. Kin Fernandez Jr. led the U.S. territory’s offense with three hits for four RBIs, while teammate Justin Elm swung 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jonathan Mayo scored two runs with an RBI single.

Guam’s Nicolas Cruz pitched a complete game in just 93 pitches with seven strikeouts. The CNMI went through four pitchers in the ordeal.