Rampaging GSM nears sweep

GSM’s Roy Celis waits for the sign of catcher Pat Alepuyo before throwing a pitch during their game against Titanium in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League last Wednesday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Jon Perez)

Seven teams tried and failed. Now, only two squads—the Chalan Kanoa Bears and the defending champion Aces—stand on GSM’s way of sweeping the elimination round of the 2018 Saipan Baseball League.

The veteran-ladened GSM clinched its seventh straight win after completing a 15-5 crushing of Titanium on Wednesday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

Jerome Delos Santos drove in three runs, while Franco Nakamura and Lancaster Secharmidal added two apiece, and Keoni Kaipat had five shutout innings for GSM to hand Titanium its third loss in six games.

Delos Santos scored three times and went 3-for-4, including an RBI double in GSM’s six-run eighth inning. Nakamura was 2-for-5 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI triple in the ninth to go with his two runs, while Secharmidal made a two-RBI single on a 1-for-4 batting. Manny Sablan went 2-for-5 with one run and an RBI, while Lorenzo Sebaklim also had one run after going 2-for-4.

Kaipat blanked Titanium in five innings, limiting their opponent to three hits, striking out four, and walking only one. Vince Cepeda pitched three innings in relief and gave up three earned runs on four hits and got three strikeouts and a walk.

Roy Celis closed out for GSM and struck out Gerald Cabrera after Brian Camacho got on base and scored on consecutive errors by Kelvin Kapileo at the bottom of the ninth. Joe Palacios also reached second on GSM’s back-to-back errors, but was stranded after Celis fanned Austin Benavente and forced Glen Camacho to ground out to end the game.

GSM hopes to extend its streak on April 6 when it faces the Bears, while the unbeaten squad will close out the single-elimination round against the reigning titlists Aces on April 10.

Mariners 17, Indians 10
Shane Yamada hit an inside-the-park grand slam as the Mariners rallied back to keep the Indians winless in six games and help their team improve to an even 3-3 record.

The Indians were leading, 9-7, and were one out away from ending the top of the seventh inning and boosting their chances for the first victory of the season when Yamada, batting for the second time in that frame, blasted an almost over-of-the fence hit.

This was the second time the Indians were close to winning a game as they led the Mariners, 9-1, after six complete before the Indians’ 11-run rampage in the seventh spoiled the party.

Meanwhile, the league cancelled last night’s match between the Aces and the Ballistics in observance of Maundy Thursday and the game has been moved to April 20. No game is also set tonight.