Enforcers, Falcons split games

A Kagman Enforcers player throws to first base during their Senior League game against the Falcons in the first round of the SLLB at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Enforcers eked out a 7-6 victory over the Falcons in their Junior League division game in the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Enforcers scored in the first five innings of the game and made the necessary defensive stops at the bottom of the seventh inning to pull off the close win.

Two runs each in the first and fifth inning and one apiece from the second to fourth gave the Enforcers a 7-5 cushion against the Falcons, who remained in contention after tacking on four runs at the bottom of the third and adding one more in the fifth.

Neither team made it to the board in the sixth and the Enforcers also failed to score at the top of the last after a 1-2-3 inning. At the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons moved within one when leadoff batter Aven Evangelista singled and eventually reached home off the Enforcers’ series of errors, with only one out and third batter Arby Yaguel moving into second after fourth batter Max Pangelinan advanced to first off another miscue from their opponent.

Pangelinan then attempted to run to second, but was beaten by Dennis Cabrera after a throw from shortstop Pedro Maratita. Now one out away, the Enforcers failed to close the match in the ensuing play, as Zack Reyes marched to first off a fielder’s choice, while Yaguel moved to third. However, Reyes and Yaguel were eventually left stranded as Cabrera and Ignacio Mendiola teamed up for a 6-3 putout play on I.J. Teigita.

Meanwhile, the Falcons denied the Enforcers a sweep last weekend after prevailing in the Senior League match, 10-4.

Starting pitcher Kekuni Kainoa worked the mound for six innings, allowing only four hits and three earned runs. With Kainoa pitching and his teammates also holding their own on defense, the Falcons allowed the Enforcers to score in only two innings.

Enforcers pitcher Jose Camacho put his team on the board in the second inning with his two-run single, while Virgil Secharmidal had an RBI single in the fifth and their squad got one more off the Falcons’ error.

With the Enforcers only making four runs, the Falcons stayed on top after five complete innings, 5-4, and made it a two-run lead in the sixth off Richard’s Atalig’s RBI single. The Falcons then went for the kill at the top of the last inning, scoring four runs off Atalig’s two-run single, Jay Kalen’s RBI single, and Kimo Angailen’s run from a passed ball.

At the bottom of the final inning, the Enforcers were pressed to score six runs to send the game to extra inning and seven to win it outright. They did neither, as the Falcons quickly retired the Enforcers’ first three batters. Relief pitcher Neldreyton Skerei struck out Camacho—the leadoff batter—while the last two bowed out off 6-3 plays.