CNMI sluggers fall to Guam

 The CNMI dropped another close game, losing to archrival Guam, 5-6, in the baseball competition in the 2011 Pacific Games yesterday at the Baseball Mont-Dore in New Caledonia.

No other details of the match were made available at the 2011 Pacific Games website.

The win over the CNMI gave Guam an unbeaten record in three games and the lead in the six-team field. The victory also allowed Guam to avenge its twin losses to the CNMI in the 2010 Micronesian Games in Palau.

The Commonwealth sluggers fell to a 1-2 slate for a share of fourth to fifth place with Fiji and must regroup and sweep their two remaining games to salvage a playoff seat.

Only the Top 4 teams after the round-robin play will make it to the next round. Guam with its 3-0 card is already assured of a playoff ticket. New Caledonia and Palau also have a strong chance of making it to the next round with their similar 2-1 cards. The host met Palau yesterday, but results of the match were unavailable at press time. Fiji has a 1-2 record after losing to Palau last Thursday, 13-1, while American Samoa owns a dismal 0-3 card after bowing to New Caledonia, 2-9.

The CNMI will duel American Samoa today and will play Fiji in the last day of the round-robin elimination on Monday.

The Top 2 placers after the elimination round will collide for the first finals ticket. The No. 3 and 4 finishers will square off in a playoff game for the right to meet the loser of the No. 1 vs. No. 2 tiff in the second semis match.

Only the scores in the baseball game between the CNMI and Guam were available at the website, while the results of the third round of the golf competitions have yet to be posted as of press time.

The CNMI has only Jeff Taylor, Tony Satur, and Adam Hardwicke participating in the golf event after Jess Wabol’s withdrawal. Beach volleyball’s Tyce Mister and Chris Nelson and athletics’ Rachel Abrams, Trevor Ogumoro, and Douglas Dillay will have their debuts in the 2011 Pacific Games on Monday.

The Games will take a break tomorrow to give way to the Pacific Games Council’s general assembly and selection for the hosting rights of the 2017 Pacific Mini Games. The Commonwealth is bidding for the Mini Games and will be up against Vanuatu and Nauru.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial arrived in New Caledonia last Thursday and will deliver the opening remarks in the CNMI’s bid presentation tomorrow.

Meanwhile, New Caledonia continued to haul medals, bringing their total to 87 as of 7pm last night. The host has a 48-37-14 gold-silver-bronze tally, pulling away from Tahiti (20-10-8).

Papua New Guinea bumped off Fiji from third place, as the former has an 18-7-7 tally against the latter’s 12-21-18. Tonga also moved up from eight to fifth place with its 2-2-4 medal haul.