Rays, Red Sox top Majors foes

  Pacific Amusement-Rep. Ray Yumul’s Rays started their campaign in the 2012 season of the Saipan Little League Baseball swith a pair of solid wins at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Palacios Ballfield.

The Rays blanked the DPS Dare Program JPO Enforcers, 3-0, last Monday and then trumped the IT&E Ol’Aces yesterday, 9-5.

In other results, the Bank of Saipan Red Sox defeated the Attorney Robert T. Torres Kagman Little Legals (0-2), 12-6, while the Dandan Comets (2-0) overwhelmed McDonald’s (0-2), 16-0.

Rays 9, Aces 5

The Rays took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of two hits and a wild throw. Then the count shifted to 6-4, for the Rays after four innings.

Rays stacked on four more runs in the third inning off two hits, some wild pitches, and an error. However, the Aces struck back with three runs in the bottom half of two walks, two hits and a fielder’s choice and then added another run in the bottom of the fourth from Glen Calvo.

The Rays’ top of the order answered with a pair of runs and doubled up the Aces, 8-4, off of a couple base rips by Nathan Torres and Jester Kintaro in the top of the fifth inning. The Aces only managed one run with the bases loaded in the bottom frame and came up empty in the final stand.

The Rays’ Manny Esefon gave up three runs off three hits and three walks in three and a third innings. Torres batted 2-for-2 with two runs, while Manuel Celis was 3-for-4 with two runs. The Aces’ Kimo Angailen reached on all three appearances and scored twice.

Rays 3, Enforcers 0

The Rays broke the ice for a chipper 1-0 lead in the first inning when Manuel Celis reached off an error and scored later off a wild pitch.

Crafty defense on both sides kept the game competitive, but the Enforcers blinked in the end, allowing the Rays’ Luis Blas and Jester Kintaro to score.

Although the Rays belted five hits in the match they were credited with only one earned run. Nevertheless, Rays’ pitcher Nathan Torres pitched a one-hit gem and tallied seven strikeouts with three walks in five shutout innings.

Red Sox 12, Little Legals 5

The Red Sox jumped ahead, 6-0, in the first inning off four hits.

Delin Reusora shut down the Legals, in the first five innings and o gave up only one hit with eight strikeouts.

Then the Sox tacked on six more runs off four hits in the top of the sixth inning and fended off the Legals’ last ditch come back attempt.

Red Sox’s Tundin Leon Guerrero batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs.

Comets 16, McDonald’s 0

The Comets streaked ahead, 12-0, highlighted by a triple and a two-run homer by Aurel Mendiola in the opening frame.

The rest of the Comets’ early runs came off a two-RBI single by Erik Cruz, two other hits, three wild pitches, and some extra throws. The Comets added a pair of runs in both the second and third frame before completing the shut out.

Mendiola triggered a number of teammates to flex their muscles as Erik Cruz batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs and a stolen base; Edmund Cruz was 2-for- 2 with a double, a run and a base on balls; and Ethan Babauta was perfect with his 3-for-3 performance at the plate.

Babauta also notched strong win on the mound and gave up just one hit in three efficient innings. He struck out the side in the first and third frame. AJ Sanchez came out in the fourth inning and finished strong for the save.