Brewers nose out Yankees, 11-10

GSM Brewers designated hitter Manny Sablan throws to Byron Kaipat during their warm-up drills last week before playing against the Falcons in the 2016 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The GSM Brewers finished their regular season campaign in the 2016 Saipan Baseball League with a close 11-10 victory over the Yankees last Monday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Brewers completed the double-round robin elimination with an 11-3 record for second place behind the Chalan Kanoa Bears (13-0), who were gunning for a sweep last night when they faced the BSI Aces. The Yankees, who are already out of contention in the Final Four, fell to a 4-9 mark and will play their last game today against Titanium (7-6).

It was a come-from-behind victory for the second semifinalist Brewers as the defending champions once stared a 3-7 deficit after three complete innings. Franco Nakamura, Joe Guerrero, and Ben Taisacan each scored two earned runs for the Yankees in the first three innings, while Mario Salas reached off an error for the team’s first seven runs. The Brewers, on the other hand, drew one run each from Pat Alepuyo and Ton Tenorio off the Yankees miscues, while the third run came from Vince Cepeda, who made it home off a sacrifice out from Mark Flores.

The Brewers’ three runs came in the first two innings and they went 1-2-3 in the third to fall behind, but slowly got back into the game after scoring in five of the last six innings of the match, while shutting down the Yankees from the fourth to sixth.

Tenorio had an RBI single at the top of the fourth, while Alepuyo got his second run in the fifth off another Yankees miscues. Pitcher Nokki Saralu, who relieve starter Leonard Sablan in the third, hit an RBI single in the sixth, while Byron Kaipat had the same connection to tie the match at 7-all.

The Brewers then kept going in the seventh with Tenorio and Leonard Sablan reaching off the Yankees’ defensive miscues and Flores scoring from Saralu’s sacrifice out to put their team on top, 10-7.

A two-run bottom of the seventh off Guerrero’s RBI single and Robert Tudela’s run from a fielder’s choice moved the Yankees within one, but the Brewers gained more cushion, 11-9, at the top of the eighth with Flores scoring from a wild pitch.

The Yankees also made one run at the bottom of the eighth with Guerrero nailing another RBI single to keep his team’s hopes alive. The Yankees went on to boost their chances to tie or win the match when the Brewers were called for a 1-2-3 inning at the top of ninth with Manny Sablan flying out at center field and Yankees pitcher Peter Lieto striking out Kaipat and Alepuyo.

However, the Brewers also leaned on their defense to foil the Yankees’ bid as Cepeda closed out for the team and got two early strikeouts and Lieto was beaten to third base.