Little League games make headlines

Matches in opening week of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball were last week’s top stories.

In the Major division games at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Ballfield, IT&E booked back-to-back wins to take the early lead in the 15-team field. Also prevailing in the opening week of the Major division were defending champions Falcons, Laolao Bay, Tanapag Braves, Hustlers, Red Sox, Comets I, and IP&E Rockies.

Over at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield, the JPO Enforcers also went 2-0, while the Falcons, Jets, Fielders, and Comets split their first two matches, and the defending champions Red Sox fell to a 0-2 slate in the Junior League.

In the Senior League, the Braves, Jets, and Red Sox won their debuts, while defending champions Fielders dropped their first game, joining the Lions and the Enforcers in the loser’s bracket. In the Big League, defending champions Padres defeated last year’s rival Braves.

Meanwhile, other notable events last week were the 2014 Reverse Co-Ed Grass Volleyball Tournament, Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization’s boys basketball and girls volleyball leagues, Tour of Guam, and the Sun Palace caging.

In the annual grass volleyball tournament, Siyasi’s John Nekaifes and Chenny Lizama won against nine other pairs. They went undefeated in the double-elimination competition and clinched the championship after beating Clay McCullough-Stearns and Somia Quan in the finals, 21-17.

In the MISO basketball, MHS remained unbeaten in three games in the varsity division, while Saipan Southern High School snapped its two-game losing skid. In the freshmen division, Agape Christian School beat Southern, while the Dolphins also triumphed in the varsity match against the winless Saipan International School.

In the girls volleyball, SIS and MHS are both flawless in three games, while Mount Carmel School is also perfect after two games. Grace Christian Academy, MHS JV, SIS JV, and Southern have one win apiece, while Kagman’s JV and varsity squads are both winless in three games.

Back to basketball, Hula Girls ruled the girls division of the Sun Palace caging after dominating Wrecking Balls in the finals, 64-53. In the boys division, Rollers 1, 2, and 3 are in the playoffs and waiting for one more qualifier.

In the Tour De Guam, seven Saipan bikers completed the 105-kilometer race. The list includes Erico Castro, Jerome Diyco, Allen Perez, Ben Babauta, Butch Sublemente, Gerald Rangamar, and Susan Marchitti.