Enforcers on a roll in Senior League

The Enforcers first baseman Darion Jones looks at the Enforcers pitcher, while a Braves runner gets ready for the next play during the top of the fifth inning of their Senior League game last Saturday at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The Enforcers withstood the Braves’ rally in the last two innings to notch a 9-7 victory in their Senior League game in the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The victory was the Enforcers’ third in a row and improved the team’s record to 6-3, just one win behind the Braves (7-2). The four other squads—Red Sox, Jets, Fielders, and Lions—entered in the Senior League also played last Saturday and results of their respective matches and team standings will be reported later this week.

The Enforcers and Braves played in the third and final game last Saturday with the former holding the latter scoreless in the first three innings for a 4-0 lead. The Enforcers had two unearned runs in the second inning, another one off the Braves’ error and an RBI single from Verlance Secharmidal in the third.

The Enforcers gained more cushion in the next two innings, prevailing in the exchange, 5-2, but were threatened in the last two innings when the Braves mounted a comeback. The Braves drew an RBI triple from Frankie Lifoifoi, an RBI single from Logan Martin and one run off an error from Secharmidal at shortstop to move within four, 5-9, after five and a half innings.

The Braves remained in contention after shutting down the Enforcers at the bottom six. At the top of the seventh, J.J. Lifoifoi blasted a two-run single with only one out to slice the deficit to two. However, Lifoifoi’s base hit failed to keep the Braves going, as Secharmidal stepped up on defense to foil the comeback bid. Secharmidal got the second out when he tagged out Lifoifoi, who tried to run to third. The Enforcers shortstop then picked up a grounder from Luke Iguel and threw to second baseman Fred Songao, who tagged out Angel Palacios.

BIG LEAGUE
Fielders 6, Padres 3
In last Thursday’s Big League game, the Fielders (4-6) stunned the second-running Padres (7-4).
The Fielders got into the board early and kept the lead despite failing to earn a single run in the last four innings to bag their fourth win.
A two-run inside-the-park homer from Jose Lizama at the bottom of the second inning helped the Fielders registered 6-2 lead. The Fielders three other runs were courtesy of Fermin Renguul’s RBI walk and Cody Kaipat’s stolen base in the first and the latter’s sacrifice out in the second.
The Padres collected two runs off the Fielders’ errors in the second inning and two more from a sacrifice fly in the third and a stolen base in the fifth to threaten their foes. The Padres then bagged their first earned run at the top of the last inning and moved within one when A.J. Lizama’s double drove leadoff batter Steven Cabrera home.
The Padres were already called for two outs before Cabrera scored and the third came right after Lizama’s base hit, as rightfielder Ton Muna caught a fly ball from T. J. Sablan to lift the Fielders to the close win.

Braves 9, Lions 8
In the other Big League game last week, the Braves (8-2) escaped the Lions’ paws.

Closer Frankie Lieto struck out Ian Iriarte for the third out at the top of the seventh and last inning to halt the Lions’ rally and save the Braves. The third out came after the Lions racked up four runs to bring the Braves’ lead down to one. Paul Celis hit an RBI single, Keene Deleon Guerrero had an RBI triple, and the Lions logged two unearned runs to remain afloat with two outs and Jared Ayuyu at second base. Ayuyu was later stranded, as Lieto got the three strikes against Iriarte.

The Lions (1-8) played catch up all night, as the Braves got off to a good start, scoring five runs in the first inning. Brandon Lieto had a two-run triple at the bottom of the first, Frankie Norita canned an RBI single, and the two other runs came off a wild pitch and a sacrifice out.

The Braves then had a roller-coaster ride in the last five innings, while the Lions scored two runs apiece in the third and fifth before adding up four more runs at the top of the last to boost their chances for an upset.