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Mariners improve playoffs chances
The Mariners used a seven-run first inning in cruising to an 18-2 win over the Blue Jays in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League last Monday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The victory was the third straight for the Pat Tenorio-coached Mariners, who upped their record to 5-3 and in the process made the race for the last two playoff berths interesting.
The Mariners moved to fourth place ahead of the defending champion Aces, as the latter dropped to 4-2 after a 14-11 setback against Titanium last Thursday. GSM, despite a 5-4 loss against the Chalan Kanoa Bears last Friday, is still on top with a 7-1 record, followed by the Bears’ 6-1 slate, while last year’s losing finalists Falcon are third at 5-2. Titanium, at 4-3, is also trying to earn a postseason ticket.
The playoff chances of the Falcons, Mariners, Aces, and Titanium will depend on the results of the remaining regular season games. The reigning champs were playing GSM at press time.
The Mariners’ Ton Tenorio drove in four runs and scored twice after going 3-for-4. He had a two-RBI triple in the Mariners’ seven-run barrage at the bottom of the first. Younger brother Pat was perfect at the plate, 3-for-3, with two runs and three RBIs. Pat made a two-RBI single in the third. Jon Villagomez, 2-for-3, made three runs and had two RBIs, while Nate Smith only went 1-for-2, but scored a run and had two RBIs, including an infield-hit in the third.
Kainoa Wanket pitched a complete game for the Mariners, holding the Blue Jays to an 8-for-21 batting with one earned run, four strikeouts, and two walks.
Larson Sibetang and Noel Cabrera shared pitching duties for the Blue Jays and gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts and four walks. The Blue Jays committed 12 errors with the Mariners converting them into four runs. The Blue Jays closed out the season at 3-6.
