Contrasting wins for IPI, GSM Masters

The IPI Masters and GSM Masters went into the break of the Masters division of the Saipan Baseball League and took contrasting wins with them after beating their respective opponents last week at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

The IPI Masters and last year’s finalist Saisei played for only five and a half innings with the former scoring a 10-6 win behind the bat of Joe Torres and the pitching of Phil Celis.

Torres went 2-for-2 with an RBI, a double, and three runs, while J.J. Cabrera, 1-for-2, scored a run and had a two-RBI single in the IPI Masters’ six-run fifth inning. Celis threw four innings in relief, giving up one earned run on four hits with no walks and retiring six batters. He struck out Leo Bobai and Kuich Damian twice. IPI starter Ed Santos lasted only one inning and was tagged with five runs, three earned, on three hits with three walks and one strikeout.

Saisei used three pitchers in Damian, Dominic Hideo, and Darwin Masaharu and they combined for six earned runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

Saisei’s loss put to waste Hector Efraim’s 3-for-3 batting with one run, three RBIs, and a double. His two-RBI double in the second inning gave Saisei a 5-2 lead entering the fourth before both teams failed to score in the third.

SBL games are being played in a two-hour time limit with the match automatically ending even if the trailing team is about to bat in the next inning. The time limit is being implemented to make up for rained-out matches. Games in the Masters and U25 divisions are suspended to give way to Team CNMI’s participation in the Micronesian Baseball Classic in Guam.

GSM Masters 18,
Papa Bears 5
Mark Flores led the GSM Masters’ 16-for-33 (.485) batting after going perfect at the plate, 4-for-4, and scoring four runs with a double and two RBIs. Mike Sablan went 2-for-2 with two doubles and one run to provide support.

Tony Flores, Walter Macaranas, and John Terlaje each went 2-for-4 while combining for three runs. Flores even hit a two-RBI triple in the second as GSM took a comfortable 11-2 lead.

Flores also led GSM on the mound, as he pitched four innings, including two where the Bears failed to score a run. He surrendered seven hits, but limited the Bears to four runs, three earned, while fanning three and walking one.

U25 DIVISION
Blue Jays 4, Pirates 3
Pat Tenorio scored the go-ahead run for the Blue Jays in the fifth on a wild pitch as the Blue Jays scored their first win after seven matches.

He got on base on an error by Pirates first baseman T.J. Dela Cruz and moved to second on another blunder before sprinting home on that wild pitch.

Ben Lizama pitched five innings as a starter, allowing one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Nathan Guerrero threw two innings in relief and gave up two runs on two hits with one strikeout.