Aces, Chalan Kanoa Bears rout opponents in SBL

The Chalan Kanoa Bears and Aces notched easy wins against their respective foes in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League last week at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Bears ripped the Outlaws last Wednesday, 17-0, while the defending champion Aces crushed the Blue Jays in last Friday’s game, 18-4.

Ben Jones hit 4-for-6 and scored two RBIs and three runs for the Aces, while Nokki Saralu went 2-for-3 and made two runs and two RBIs. Lamarc Iguel was only 1-for-4, but registered three runs.

The defending champion set up the lopsided win after scoring eight runs at the bottom of the sixth inning. Juan Iguel batted twice in the sixth inning and scored two times, while Jones also went 2-for-2, blasting an RBI single in his first attempt and an RBI triple in the second.

The Aces were ahead by only 3, 7-4, after five complete before breaking away in the sixth inning. The Blue Jays scored all their runs at the top of the third to momentarily grab the lead, 4-3.

In the Bears-Outlaws tiff, the former were without a run in the first inning, but buckled down to work in the next four to earn the win four innings earlier.

Shakobe Rangamar worked the mound for four innings, giving up only three hits and no run, while striking five. Ethan Babauta closed out for the Bears, getting the last two strikeouts to end the match after catcher Virgil Secharmidal caught a fly ball from leadoff batter Wally Emul.

Ricky Dela Cruz hit 2-for-3 for the Bears and scored four runs, while Donald Manalo had two RBIs on a 2-for-4 performance at the plate and also logged four runs.

Meanwhile, in last Thursday’s game, the Mariners eked out a 4-2 win over Go See Mark.

Jonah Flores pitched six innings for the Mariners and allowed only four hits, while Nate Camacho threw a no-hitter as a closer for the winning team. Camacho held his own against GSM in the last 2.2 innings, fanning three. He got back-to-back strikeouts at the top of the eight, stranding runners at second and third.

GSM posted its only two runs off Byron Kaipat and Franco Nakamura’s RBI single each at the top of the first and seventh inning. The Mariners also registered one run at the bottom of the first with Devyn Flores reaching off Nakamura’s error at home plate, while an RBI single each from Nate Camacho and Matt Kintol handed the team a 3-1 advantage. A sacrifice out from Ton Tenorio at the bottom of the sixth gave the Mariners cushion, while GSM was held to one run in the last three innings. Nakamura singled and drove in Diego Camacho at the top of the seventh for GSM’s final run.