Little Legals claim Majors title

The Little Legals’ G-Boy Pangelinan engages in a run down play between third base and home during the top of the fifth inning of their title game against the Falcons in the Majors division of the 2018 Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

It’s payback time for the Kagman Little Legals.

The Little Legals avenged their two losses against the Falcons after scoring a 6-4 victory in their title duel in the Majors division of the 2018 Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

A five-run top of the second inning allowed the Little Legals to take control of the winner-take-all finale and they kept the driver’s seat after playing solid defense in the remainder of the exciting game.

Downs 1-3 after one complete inning, Reed Camacho led off for the Little Legals at the top of the second and the centerfielder eventually made it home of a fielder’s choice to move his team within one. A Jess Norita single then brought home second batter Stanley Iakopo and tied the match, while a two-run single by starting pitcher G-Boy Pangelinan put the Little Legals on top, 5-3 with two outs.

The Little Legals then made it a 6-3 advantage when Austin Diaz reached off the Falcons’ error at centerfield, while the Falcons finally got the needed stop and ended the agonizing inning for the pennant champion when Cardi Borja went down on a 6-3 play, leaving Pangelinan stranded at third.

The Falcons tried to regain their composure at the bottom of the second, but failed against the tough defense of the Little Legals, as the former only countered with one run. Chris Pangelinan delivered what turned out to be the final run for the Falcons off Achilles Evangelista’s base hit, as G-Boy Pangelinan held their foes to two hits in the third and up to the early part of the bottom of the fifth, while Gunner Sablan threw a no-hitter in a closing job.

G-Boy gave up a single to Mike Tomokane to start the bottom of the third, but the catcher was tagged out at third, while De’Andre Sablan grounded out at third, and G-Boy struck out Andre Iguel for the quick three outs for the Little Legals.

It was the same story for the struggling Falcons at the bottom of the fourth, as G-Boy struck out Alfonso Taitaino and Vinnie Sablan and Noah Aguon grounded out at third. The Falcons’ first two batters at the bottom of the fifth inning were also booted out on 1-3 and 6-4 plays, while third batter Christopher Gonzales advanced off a fielder’s choice and was later left there when Little Legals first baseman Benji Palacios caught a linedrive from Tomokane.

With the Falcons grounded from the third to fifth inning, pressured mounted on the Manny Evangelista-coached squad going into the last inning, which was halted for a few minutes due to a drizzle.

The game resumed in less than five minutes and Gunner Sablan, who relieved G-Boy after the latter gave up a single on Joey Sharry at the bottom of the fifth, were called for high balls in his first two pitches against De Andre Sablan. Gunner then settled down and struck out De Andre and then made another defensive stop when he picked up a grounder from Taitano and threw to second baseman Jess Norita, who beat runner Iguel for the second out. Iguel earlier moved to first off a Little Legals’ error.

With the Little Legals one out away from clinching the championship, all eyes were focused on Dylan Santos, who let go of Gunner’s first two low pitches before making contact with the third one. The shot was a short grounder with the ball rolling toward Gunner, who picked the leather up and threw to Palacios at first base to seal the deal for the Little Legals and hand the Falcons another runner-up finish.

The Falcons lost to the Braves in the 2017 finale, 6-7, while the Little Legals placed third in last year’s competition after beating the Comets in the consolation game, 4-3. The Little Legals, who bowed to the Falcons twice in the regular season this year, were defeated by the same squad in the semifinals last season.

Meanwhile, the Pirates won the battle for third place yesterday after outclassing McDonald’s, 7-5.