Vets power GSM past Indians

GSM manager A.J. Murig, standing right, and sponsor Mark Sablan, standing left, join their players for a group photo after the team’s victory over the Falcons last week in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Contributed Photo)

Veterans Pete Tomokane and Jerome Delos Santos drove in three runs each to help GSM earn a 16-6 comeback win over the unlucky Indians in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League last Tuesday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

Tomokane and Delos Santos, two of the most reliable hitters for GSM, also combined for 6-for-8 in batting to power GSM to its sixth win in as many games. With its perfect record, GSM is still on top of team standings in the 10-squad field.

It was another sorry loss for the Indians, their fifth consecutive, as they were leading, 4-1, after 3 1/2 innings, but failed to stop GSM’s comeback bid at the bottom of the fourth.

Pat Alepuyo had a leadoff double at the bottom of the fourth inning and later scored on an RBI single by Diego Camacho, who advanced and reached home on three straight errors by the Indians—the last charged to catcher Robert Tudela.

Franco Nakamura, with one out after Indians pitcher Tony Flores fanned Tom Camacho, singled, while Lorenzo Sebaklim got on base on a fielding error by Richard Atalig at third base. A Tomokane single then drove in Nakamura and Sebaklim, before the former was left stranded on first base after Delos Santos and Manny Sablan grounded out to end the inning with GSM holding on to a 5-4 lead.

The Indians got back in the driver’s seat at 6-5 after Tudela, who walked, and E.J. Tenorio scored consecutively at the top of the fifth. However, that turned out to be the Indians’ last taste of the lead, as L.J. Sebaklim relieved Flores on the mound and shut their opponents down.

GSM went on to score four more runs at the bottom of the fifth and added seven in the seventh and eighth to finish off the Indians.

Tomokane was perfect at the plate, 3-for-3, with a double and two runs, while Delos Santos went 3-for-5 with one run and an RBI double in the eighth. Diego Camacho had back-to-back RBI singles in his five plate appearances and hit 3-for-4 with three runs. Keoni Kaipat also drove in two runs on a 1-for-2 batting with one run scored, while Franco Nakamura went 4-for-6, two of which were bunt singles, and made three runs.

Flores tossed 4 and 1/3 innings and was tagged with one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks, while L.J. Sebaklim pitched a one-hitter in 3 and 2/3 in relief, fanned two, and walked none.

Perry Celis and M.J. Sakisat surrendered 21 hits to GSM and combined for four strikeouts—three of which were made by the former—and five walks.

Atalig scored twice against GSM, while Sakisat, Celis, Tenorio, and Robert Tudela had one run each.

The Indians committed a total of 14 errors and GSM turned these miscues into three runs and used them to move into scoring position several times.