Saipan Junior, Senior All-Stars show dominance

Saipan Junior League All-Star first baseman Joel Norita throws to pitcher Vicente Camacho after a Rota batter hits a foul ball, while a Rota runner stays at first during the bottom of the sixth inning of their game in the 2017 CNMI District Tournament last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Saipan Senior and Junior All-Stars proved to be too much for their Rota counterparts as shown in the lopsided games in the 2017 CNMI District Tournament held over the weekend.

In the Junior League division, Saipan coasted to a 10-0 victory in Game 1 last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield and picked up where it left off in Game 2 last Saturday after posting a 10-1 triumph. With the sweep, the Saipan Junior League All-Stars will be representing the CNMI to the 2017 Asia Pacific Regional Championships, which will take place here later this month.

In their ASPAC slot-clinching win in Game 2, the Saipan Junior League All-Stars used three pitchers—Bing Nakamura, Joel Norita, and Vicente Camacho—to nearly earn another shutout win over the hapless Rota crew. Nakamura started out for Saipan and threw a no-hitter in the 2.1 innings he worked the mound, while striking out three runners and stranding four. Norita took over from Nakamura and kept the Rota silent, forcing their foe to a 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, while stranding a runner earlier in the third. Camacho then closed out for the winning team and though Rota made its lone hit against him—a single from Nicolas Cabrera—the Saipan pitcher got the second out in the ensuing play after fanning out Ometry Welcbacher and soon the winning squad wrapped up the match when Nakamura picked up a shot from Mark Reyes and tagged out Cabrera at second base.

The Saipan Junior League All-Stars got the Game 1 win an inning earlier, setting up the victory via 10-run mercy rule after gaining cushion in the first three innings. Saipan had two runs each in the first and second inning and five in the third before adding one in the sixth. Kyle Kapileo scored three runs, Justin Agulto chipped in two, and Nakamura, Joven Reyes, A.J. Sanchez, and Leveque Iguel contributed one apiece.

In Game 2, the Saipan Junior All-Stars finished strong after going scoreless in the first two innings. Vicente Camacho had three runs and an RBI off his 3-for-4 performance at the plate, while J.P. Celis was only 1-for-5, but had two RBIs in their shutout win. Ton Agulto, Nakamura, Justin Agulto, Sean Rabauliman, Trevon Lieto, and Reyes added one run each.

Reyes gave Saipan its first run at the top of the third, while his team also scored in the next three frames, making three, four, and two runs for the double-digit advantage, 10-0.

The scores remained the same, as Celis closed out for Saipan and struck out Rota’s first three batters at the bottom of the seventh and last inning.

In the Senior League division, Saipan was merciless, getting the two-game sweep after only eight innings.

In last Friday’s Game 1, the Saipan Senior League All-Stars took five innings to whip Rota, 29-0. Saipan scored in each of the five innings, making most of the damage in the second and fourth where the host had 19 runs.

Spencer Dickinson and Jester Kintaro pitched for Saipan in Game 1 and threw a no-hitter while combining for 10 strikeouts. With Kintaro and Dickinson’s solid pitching and the rest of their teammates also holding their ground on defense, Rota did not make it past first base.

In Game 2, Saipan took an even shorter route to victory, finishing off Rota after only three innings, 27-1.