BSI Aces take first victory; North Starz prevails

BSI Aces players warm up before their game against the Chalan Kanoa Bears last week in the 2016 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Aces barged into the win column, while the North Starz got its second victory in the 2016 Saipan Baseball League.

The Best Sunshine International-backed Aces edged the Yankees, 11-9, last Tuesday to register their first triumph in five games, while the North Starz had a similar close win against the Falcons, 12-9, last Wednesday.

Starting catcher Verlance Secharmidal helped the Aces snap its losing skid after scoring three RBIs off his 2-for-5 performance at the plate. He also made two runs and one triple. Ben Jones Jr. added two RBIs after going 2-for-3 at bat, while Darion Jones and John Tudela chipped in one RBI each.

The Aces reached home in eight of the nine-inning game, posting their most runs (4) at the top of the fourth behind Secharmidal’s two-run triple. Secharmidal also made it home, while the other run came off Ben Jones’ RBI single.

The Yankees countered with only one run in the first six innings off Mario Salas’ RBI single to fall behind, 1-8, before rallying in the seventh and eighth after tacking on eight runs. Salas had an RBI single and RBI double in that comeback, while Pete Tomokane blasted a two-run single. Franco Nakamura contributed an RBI single and the Yankees got two more runs off the Aces’ errors and one from a wild pitch to move within one, 9-10, going into the ninth inning.

The Aces gained cushion at the top of the ninth with Jeremy Atalig reaching off a fielder’s choice and kept the lead and the win when the Yankees had a 1-2-3 inning at the bottom.

In the North Starz-Falcons tussle, the former’s pitcher Ben Lizama had a complete game, allowing only two hits and one run in the last four innings to lift his team to victory.

Before Lizama held his ground and his teammates also stepped up on defense in the final four frames, the North Starz and Falcons had several exchanges, leaving the eventual winner just ahead by two, 10-8. The North Starz took the lead after five complete innings as it got three runs off the Falcons’ miscues and an RBI double from Nico Martin at the top of the fifth. The North Starz added two more runs off the Falcons’ booboos in the seventh, while the Falcons answered with only one run in the eighth to absorb their second loss in five games.