Little Legals and Braves down foes

A Braves player practices his batting stance before their game against the Comets in the Minors division of the 2018 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Little Legals and Braves prevailed in their respective games in the 2018 Saipan Little League Baseball held over the weekend at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

In the Majors division, the Little Legals topped McDonald’s, 12-2, while the Braves defeated the Comets in the Minors tiff, 9-3.

The Little Legals used a six-run top of the second inning to gain cushion and set up the easy win over McDonald’s. The Little Legals got three earned runs, two off wild pitches, and one off a stolen base to make up for a 1-2-3 inning in the first. They then scored two runs each in the third and fourth inning and one apiece in the last two.

On defense, the Little Legals allowed McDonald’s to score only in the second inning behind Dean Hodges’ two-RBI double.

G-Boy Pangelinan pitched in the first three innings for the Little Legals and threw a two-hitter, while striking out two. Gunner Sablan relieved him and the closer also had a two-hitter and fanned out seven batters.

Meanwhile, in the Minors division match last Sunday, the Braves tallied two homers to top the Comets in the league’s pilot program, which has teams playing in a one-hour limit.

The Braves were on target right at the get-go when Max Taitano blasted a two-run homer and Javen Camacho hit a solo shot. Camacho was not done yet, as he followed his solo homer with a two-run triple, and the Braves went on to complete the victory after three innings, as they registered three more runs in the last off the Comets’ miscues.

In the other Minors division game last weekend, the Cubs coasted past the Northern Yankees, 11-2.

The Cubs needed only one a half inning to earn the win, as they got off to a rousing start.

Eight batters on the Cubs’ top of the order reached home plate and three scored twice, giving their team an 11-1 lead after one complete inning. The Cubs’ runs came in succession as two of the Northern Yankees pitchers could not find their form. Five of the Cubs’ total runs at the top of the first were made off wild pitches.

The Northern Yankees recorded only one run at top of the first and were done in that inning after only four batters. Then in the second, bad signs greeted the Northern Yankees, as Cubs starting pitcher Joseph Lizama struck out the first two batters.

An Anthony Tudela run off a fielder’s choice gave the Northern Yankees some break, but that was it for the losing squad, as Franklin Reyes was tagged out at home by the Cubs catcher.