Big Hustlers, Senior Lions eke out wins

The Big League’s Paradise Island Animal Hospital Hustlers and the Senior League’s Marianas CableVision Kagman Lions each came out on top of their respective matches as the Saipan Little League Baseball 2012 season continued at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfied.

The Hustlers snuck past the IT&E Fielders, 3-2, in a nine-inning chess match, while the Lions outlasted the Saipan Shipping Company Jets, 6-5, after an extra frame.

Also on Saturday, the Junior League’s Hawaiya Technologies Inc. Ol’Aces shut down the Bank of Saipan Red Sox, 7-0, while the Senior League’s Docomo Pacific Ol’Aces pummeled the DPS Dare Program Enforcers, 11-0, in six innings.

Then the Big League’s St. Michael’s Medical Response Hunters bested the Kagman Lions, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon.

The season continues at 4pm today at the Tan Ko Field with a Senior League pairing between the Natibu Tanapag Falcons against the Hunters.

Ol’Aces led it 2-0 after three innings off a pair of RBI doubles by Terson Eina and Michael Muna in the second and third frames.

The Red Sox were never able to start its engine as Ol’Aces pitcher Eina, who almost went the distance, dealt 6 2/3 of shutout innings. In all, Eina struck out 10 and gave up just two hits with three walks and a bean ball.

Red Sox’s Jhayce Palacios kept his team in range from the mound, but Ol’Aces came alive after he was tapped with one out remaining in the fifth inning. Ol’Aces then went on to break open the match with a five-ruin burst in the sixth inning with patience at the plate and aggression in the base paths.

It was all Eina from both sides of the plate as he also swung 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a run. Ol’Aces’ Jesse Brel batted 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run, and a base on balls.

Docomo Pacific Ol’Aces jumped on top, 3-0, in the first inning off four hits. Jonah Flores busted an RBI double, A.J. Lizama an RBI single, and Lancaster Secharmedal chipped an RBI poke.

A two-out triple by Ol’Aces’ Lizama led to another two runs in the third frame.

A walk later, T.J. Sablan stepped in and cleared the bases. He did the same thing in the fifth inning and shortly after, Ol’Aces delivered the knockout blow in the sixth inning with four more runs off four hits, including a triple by Frankie Camacho and another RBI single for Sablan.

Ol’Aces’ Sablan batted 4-for-4 with five RBIs and a stolen base; Lizama batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs, two stolen bases, and a base on balls and; Camacho swung 3-for-3 with two runs.

Winning pitcher Jonah Flores got the decision after dealing 4 2/3 scoreless innings; he gave up two hits with five walks and four strikeouts. Ol’Aces closer Secharmedal finished up nicely and retired five in a row for the save.

It was tied at 4-4 after three innings when the SCC Jets snatched the lead, 5-4, off an error in the top of the fifth inning.

The MCV Kagman Lions’ top of the order answered in the top of the sixth and knotted the game back up with a sacrifice fly by Brel Yobech that scored Justin Santos.

After four solid innings, Jets relief pitcher Allen Cabrera ran out of gas as he headed back out for the bonus frame.

The Lions jumped all over him early in the bottom of the eighth inning as third batter Yobech hammered home the game winner.

It was not all pretty, but Yobech showed big in the game and the Lions got it done; his teammate Dave Matagolai batted 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two bases on balls.

Winning pitcher Cedric Ada gave up one earned run off seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.

Hustlers hit the board first with a run scored off an error in the opening frame, but the IT&E Fielders’ top of the order shot back with three hits in the top of the fourth inning to seize control, 2-1.

Fielders’ Ben Lizama led off with a triple and was doubled home by Peter Lieto.

Marvin Ngeskebei then singled him in before the Hustlers could escape the inning.

Hustlers’ Brian Camacho was called over to relieve MacGarette Duenas to close the final out.

Fielders starting pitcher Ngeskebei held the edge from the mound into the final inning, but the Hustlers finally pulled things together and tied it at 2-all in the final stand.

A one-out single by Villagomez set up a clutch RBI double by Duenas that sent the game into extra innings.

Both teams came up empty in the eighth inning, and Hustlers’ Villagomez took the ball to start the ninth and secured a 1-2-3 inning.

Villagomez came through big in many ways late in the game and underlined it with a two-out walk-off double that scored Kenta Castro from first base.

Hustlers’ Camacho was issued the win with zero hits and just one walk with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

After a couple of three-up and three-down frames to start the match, St. Michael’s Hunters took a 2-0 lead off some costly errors in the bottom of the third inning.

The Hunters then tacked on its other two runs in the fifth inning, largely from the result of a wild throw in what seemed like an easy play from the mound to first base that allowed Alek Lopez to the plate. The blunder would also lead to an RBI single by Joseph Atalig that scored Anthony Guerrero.

The Lions scored their lone run in the top of the fifth and never really postured a comeback.

Hunters winning pitcher Joseph Palacios gave up one run off three hits with eight strikeouts.

Notably, Lions starting pitcher Leroy Regis went six and a third innings and did not allow an earned run, but only three hits and two walks with strikeouts.