MHS keeps title hopes alive

Defending champion Marianas High School forced a rubber match versus Saipan Southern High School after coasting to a 13-2 win in Game 1 of their title duel in the 2013-2014 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Girls Fast-pitch Softball League last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

The weekend’s championship encounter was a rematch of the last year’s finals, which the Lady Dolphins won after outlasting the Lady Rays in Game 1, 17-16. Southern and MHS collided anew in the finale after the former defeated the latter in the winner’s bracket semifinals, 9-8. The Lady Dolphins had to beat Kagman in the losers bracket, 11-7, to have a chance to defend their 2013 title against Southern, which had a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.

Marianas High School’s Jayna Lizama throw a pitch, while a Saipan Southern High School runner gets ready to steal third base during the bottom of the third inning of Game 1 of the finals of the 2013-2014 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Girls Fast-pitch Softball League last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Lady Rays needed the edge, as their pitchers struggled in the championship round, giving the Lady Dolphins several free runs in the early innings en route to the easy win via 10-run mercy rule after only four and a half innings.

Annalisa Blas started off for Southern and though she did not allow a single hit in the first inning, fatigue began to take its toll on her in the second inning where she threw several wild pitches and high balls. With Blas having problems at the mound, MHS scored five runs off two wild pitches, a passed ball, and an error at third base. The Lady Dolphins got one earned run off Blas with Julie Reyes making an RBI single.

The Southern coaches had seen enough as they faced a 0-5 deficit and dispatched Cathy Amandus to relieve Blas. However, Amandus took time before getting her form, allowing MHS to rack up three more runs off two wild pitches and a walk. The Lady Dolphins could have scored more than eight runs, as they loaded the bases with two outs before Amandus struck out Melisha Lizama to end Southern’s agony in the pivotal second inning.

While Southern’s pitchers had a tough time in Game 1, the Lady Dolphins’ Jayna Lizama played steady on the mound, throwing a three-hitter and giving up no earned runs. Southern recorded its first run at the bottom of the third off an MHS error at third base and added one more from another Lady Dolphins miscue to move within six, 2-8.

The defending champions got back the two runs quickly at the top of the fourth off a passed ball and RBI walk and with Blas returning to the mound and still showing fatigue, MHS collected three more runs to set up the early win. The Lady Dolphins had another run off Blas’ passed ball and two from Southern’s error at first base and shorts stop.

Down by 11 runs after four innings, Southern must score at least two runs at the top of the fifth to prevent MHS from cruising to victory. The Lady Rays had chances, as they loaded the bases with two outs, however MHS catcher Julie Reyes caught a foul ball from Jinky Kintaro to end the match and keep the Lady Dolphins’ title defense hopes alive.

Game 2 will be played today at 4pm after coaches agreed to give their players enough time to rest, as Game 1 was completed around 5pm last Saturday. Southern and MHS have started competing in the playoffs last Thursday and games were scheduled for the whole day last Saturday.

The Lady Dolphins advanced to the winner’s bracket semis after beating Mount Carmel School, while Southern prevailed over MHS’ junior varsity team. Kagman High School, which lost to MHS JV, remained in contention after a win via forfeiture over MCS, which missed the Saturday games because of its graduation ceremony. Kagman then had a rematch against MHS JV and the former won for the right to face MHS varsity in the last semis pairing.