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Brewers outlast Yankees in 11 innings to snap skid
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Posted on Mar 13 2015
Defending champion GSM Brewers needed an 11-inning thriller to escape with a 15-14 win over the Saipan Stevedore Yankees in the 2015 Saipan Baseball League on Wednesday night at the Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
From left, the Brewers’ Vince Cepeda, Jun Rabauliman, Nokki Saralu, Byron Kaipat, and Diego Camacho huddle near the pitcher’s mound in their Saipan Baseball League game against the Yankees on Wednesday night at the Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. (Jon Perez)
The Brewers ended their two-game skid and in the process snapped the Yankees’ four-game winning run in the almost four-hour match.
The Brewers enjoyed a 9-1 lead after 2 1/2 innings but just when everybody thought the Mark Flores-managed squad was going to cruise to victory, the Yankees came charging back and kept the game close.
The Yankees, trailing 13-11 in the bottom of the ninth, forced an extra inning on Brian Camacho’s two-RBI double after he drove in Tommy Joab and Ben Jones, who both hit singles.
Byron Kaipat pushed the Brewers again in the top of the 10th when he scored on a Yankees error, but John Tudela tied the count anew in the bottom of the inning.
Jun Rabauliman scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th after he was brought in by Tyrone Omar’s RBI double. Nokki Saralu also had a stand-up double but Omar failed to score as he was tagged out on a 2-6 putout play by Yankees catcher Robert Bansil and shortstop Peter Tomokane.
Manny Sablan grounded out to first baseman Gary Cruz to end the inning and again gave the Yankees a chance to either tie the match or win it.
But strikeout leader Vince Cepeda foiled their plans as Jones, who was hit by pitch, was tagged out while heading to second on a Jerome Delos Santos fielder’s choice.
Cepeda then forced Tomokane to a pop fly that was caught by catcher Pat Alepuyo and ended the game when he retired Camacho.
Saralu led the Brewers offense going 4-for-5 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBIs, while Jesse Brel went 3-for-4 with three runs, two triples, and three RBIs.
Cepeda pitched 7.2 innings in relief surrendering eight runs, four earned, on eight hits while striking out seven and walking one.
Lefty Lancaster Secharmidal lasted only 3.1 innings and was tagged with six runs, four earned, on three hits while fanning two and walking three.
The Yankees’ loss wasted Camacho’s 4-for-7 performance at the plate where he drove in a game-high six RBIs with two runs and a double.
