Aces beat D-9ers in barnburner, 22-11

  The Aces overcame the Rep. Ray Yumul-D-9ers, 22-11, in eight innings with an 11-run uprising in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s Saipan Major League matchup held at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The win improved the Aces’ win-loss card to 6-3, while the D-9ers are still in search of its first victory after eight tries.

Back on Monday, the Rep. Sylvester Iguel-Masters (1-7) forfeited its game to the IP&E-Shell-Fielders (4-5).

The Tan Holdings-Brewers and the Saipan Stevedore Company-Northern Yankees are tied atop the standings with identical 6-1 records, while defending champion St. Michael’s Medical Response-Angels (5-3) rest in fourth place.

The Angels took on the Yankees last night at the Tan Ko Field and details will be released soon.

The season continues tonight at the Tan Ko at 6:30pm with the Brewers colliding with the Fielders.

Aces’ Nokki Saralu got his team off to a promising start with a two-RBI double in the first inning.

The D-9ers got a run back in the bottom frame from a base smash by B.J. Lizama, but the Aces pushed ahead, 3-1, in the second inning off a passed ball that scored leadoff man Jesus Iguel.

The D-9ers then pulled on a six-run tear in the third inning and went ahead, 7-3.

Chad Atalig, Andave Camacho, and Vince Castro all bagged RBIs, while Bob Lizama roped a single for two runs, a couple of walks, and some timely errors also helped fuel the surge.

The Aces regrouped and pulled within a run in the fourth inning off three hits. Juan Iguel and J.D. Dikito both delivered RBI base knocks.

Then after a quiet fifth inning, the Aces’ top of the order trotted ahead, 12-7, in the sixth off three hits and some sketchy pitching.

Dikito cashed in on another RBI single and Juan Tenorio provided a two-RBI shot to the outfield. Three other runs came in off errors.

The D-9ers fought back and made it a one-run ballgame again with four runs off three hits in the bottom frame.

Three unearned runs came home early in the inning and were complemented by an RBI base smash by Mart Sablan that scored John Acosta.

Both teams came up empty in the seventh, but the Aces erupted with 11 runs in the eighth inning that put the mercy rule into effect.

The D-9ers kept it close through the majority of the match, but the Aces sensed exhaustion in its opponents’ pitching core and jumped all over them late in the game.

The Aces cracked 11 hits and almost batted through its lineup twice.

Juan Tenorio was hit by a pitch to start the inning and was later driven in by Juan Iguel. Second batter Jesus Iguel reached just prior with a base hit and was escorted home with Juan Iguel by Saralu.

Juan Maratita delivered him home, while Dikito hit his way on before Maratita’s at bat and scored off an error during Mike Iguel’s turn at the plate.

He reached on a single, after which Charflie Wabol cleared the bases with a two-RBI base rip.

Derek Aughenbaugh was plunked and scored off errors, Jesus Iguel belted a triple and scored off an error, and Juan Iguel and Saralu reached on hits and were brought home by a two-RBI blast by Dikito before the D-9ers could get out of dodge. Dikito then struck out the side in the bottom frame to secure the win.

Juan Iguel batted 5-for-5 with two RBIs, five runs, and a base on balls. J.D. Dikito batted 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs. Saralu went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs, and two base on balls.

D-9ers’ Lawrence Dikito batted 2-for-3 with three runs, a base on ball, and a hit-by-pitch.

By Walter J. Sutherland
Reporter