CNMI misses medal podium

  The CNMI Junior National Baseball Team bowed to Guam, 1-3, in the battle for third place in the 18U/AAA Oceania Championship last Thursday at the Paseo Stadium in Guam.

The Commonwealth bets finished the double-round robin tournament with a dismal 1-6 record, losing to eventual champion Australia twice, to the host three times, and to New Zealand. The CNMI’s lone win in the four-nation competition came from New Zealand last Monday, 4-2.

Australia took the championship after a convincing 17-2 win over New Zealand last Thursday night. Players from the Land Down Under will now represent Oceania Baseball Confederation in the 2012 18U IBAF World Championship, which will be held in Seoul City, Korea, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8.

The Aussies ran the table, tallying 71 runs and allowing just three runs in six games in the preliminary. New Zealand finished second with its 3-3 record, Guam came in at third with a 2-4 card, and the CNMI placed last.

The Commonwealth crew stumbled into the tournament with a shaky start and dropped its first three games before mustering its lone victory, however the young squad came up limp in its last three games

In the opener, the CNMI fell to New Zealand via run rule after six innings, 3-14, and absorbed another mercy defeat at the hands of Australia, 0-10. The Tony Rogolifoi-mentored squad closed out the first round with a 2-8 loss to Guam.

The CNMI sluggers then opened the second round last Monday with a morale-boosting 4-2 win over New Zealand behind the no-hitter of Leroy Regis. Regis recorded that feat with just three strikeouts and issued four walks. He also led the CNMI at the plate with a three-RBI double, while Ricardo Dela Cruz went 2-for-3 in the win.

Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived, as the CNMI fell again to Australia last Tuesday, 1-18, and bowed to Guam for the second time last Wednesday, 7-11.

The CNMI sluggers were no match to the Aussies, as the latter pounded a dozen hits off the former’s shaky defense. The Commonwealth players committed nine errors and had only three hits.

Then in its second match against Guam, the CNMI managed to get on top early, but could not hang on late in the game. Guam took the lead in the fourth inning and held on for the win.

Polly-Card Luther was a big factor in Guam’s victory, hitting 4-for-5 and scoring one RBI and three runs. Dela Cruz went 3-for-3 against Guam, Anthony Leon Guerrero swang 2-for-3 and logged one RBI and one run, while Cedric Ada was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

For the third time, the CNMI faced the host with the bronze medal at stake and the visitors could not get their bats going against hurler Sean Cruz.

Cruz had a no hitter going into the last inning of regulation before the CNMI’s Henry Rabauliman broke it up with a double.

Guam built an early 3-0 lead in the second inning and allowed the CNMI its only run later in the fourth frame off a sacrifice by Regis, who brought Leon Guerrero home.

Regis did his best on the mound to keep CNMI within range, but the group simply could not get over the hump despite Guam’s six errors in the field. Regis gave up just one earned run off five hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts through six innings of work. Guam’s Cruz went the distance and tallied eight punch-outs and a walk. He gave up just one hit and allowed zero earned runs.