Yankees vs Islanders in Big League finals

The Islanders’ Jhace Palacios delivers a pitch to a Braves batter during the top of the second inning of their playoff game in the Big League division of the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Yankees and the Islanders set up their title duel for the Big League division championship in the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball after eliminating the Braves in the playoff games over the weekend at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The finals was played last night.

The pennant champion Yankees defeated the Braves last Saturday, 6-5, to notch the first finals berth. The Braves went back to the “Tan Ko” field the following day for another chance to make it to the championship game, but suffered another sorry loss at the hands of the Islanders, who pulled off a 7-5 victory.

In the Yankees-Braves tiff, Peyton Lizama delivered the winning hit, as his single at the bottom of the seventh inning brought Jesse Brel home. Lizama hit the dagger with the Yankees having only one out and the bases loaded.

Lizama’s RBI single also came after the Yankees went without a single run in the fifth and sixth, while the Braves got three in the last two to force a deadlock. The Braves, earlier, in the first inning, had two runs, but were shut down in the next four to face a 2-5 deficit. A four-run bottom of the first gave the Yankees the early lead with Roke Tenorio and Peyton Lizama each nailing an RBI single and also reaching home off a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice out, respectively. The Yankees’ fifth run came in the fourth off Alden Ngeskebei’s RBI single, giving the eventual first finalists cushion, going into the last two inning.

In the penultimate inning, the Braves scored one run to bring the deficit down to two and then tied the match at the top of the seventh and last inning as Kiku Lizama made an RBI single and A.J. Evangelista reached off a Yankees’ miscue. After the tie, the Braves had a chance to steal the lead, as they had only two outs and there were runners on first and second base. However, Kiku Lizama was caught stealing third, ending the Braves’ hopes to grab the upper hand, going into the bottom of the seventh.

The Yankees had a bad start in the last inning with M.J. Sakisat grounding out at third. Brel was the next batter and moved to first off James Kintaro’s error and then stole second. Secharmidal singled and also stole second, while Brel advanced to third. The bases were then loaded with Tenorio walking and Brel eventually scored the winning run off Peyton Lizama’s base hit.

With the loss, the Braves had to face the third-ranked Enforcers for the second and last finals berth.

A six-run top of the first allowed the Enforcers to control the rubber match and they held on against the Braves’ late rally. Nate Camacho stood out in the Enforcers’ good start, hitting a two-run single and also scoring off the Braves’ error at centerfield. Bradley Lieto added an RBI single and also reached, while Jhace Palacios posted the Enforcer’s first run off a miscue by the Braves shorts stop. The Enforcers added another run in the fifth inning off one more error of the Braves at centerfield.

The Braves, on the other hand, were held to one run in the first four innings before mounting a comeback in the last three, scoring four runs, but still fell short in the end.