Seniors win back-to-back, Juniors drop last game

In what was one heck of a rebound for a team that had lost their first two games, the CNMI All-Stars of the Senior Little League won back-to-back contests against the host team from Bangor, ME and the previously undefeated team from Dade City, FL.

Though the results of the first of the comeback games were not available as of press time yesterday, it is all too clear that the Northern Marianas hard-ballers fought back to even their record to 2-2.

On Wednesday, they took the field against the Bangor Westside/East Little League All-Stars in an effort to earn their first win of the tournament. By the time the game was over they would have it, but not without a struggle.

They boys of the CNMI found themselves in an early hole after giving up five runs in the bottom of the first, but they quickly rebounded with four runs in the top of the second inning. Pitcher Franco Flores got off to a rocky start, but he received plenty of help from his offense as Ben Tasikan, Franco Flores, Tyrone Omar, and Tom Guerrero all crossed the plate for the Seniors to jump-start the island bats.

Maine tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth to go up 7-5, but that was the last time they would enjoy the lead. In the top of the sixth, the Asia-Pacific Champions erupted for six runs to finish off the hosts.

This time it was Zach Concepcion who got the scoring started, followed by Jeff Saures, Shane Mendiola, Oliver Secharmidal, Taisacan, and Antoine Allen. Bangor scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth, but Allen shut down the home team offense in the bottom of the seventh and capped off the victory with a strikeout.

After advancing to 1-2, the Seniors faced the Goliath from Florida in the undefeated Dade City Little League All-Stars. The representatives brandished an unmarred 3-0 upon entering the field of play with the CNMI, but the boys of manager Jess Wabol’s team weren’t shaken by the stats.

Oliver Secharmidal went the distance on the mound for the Islanders, allowing five runs off of 10 hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts while the rest of the team pulled together to do what the other teams could not—beat Dade.

Tyrone Omar went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of ribbies and two scores, while Tony Palacios went 2-for-3, knocking in a run and scoring twice. Antoine Allen was at it again, this time with clutch hitting going 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI’s.

Down 4-1 after two and a half innings, the CNMI took advantage of the South’s miscues when Omar found himself on second base courtesy of a Dade throwing errors. Palacios brought Omar in when he singled, and would later cross the plate on yet another throwing error to cut the lead to 4-3.

Each of the teams scored a run in the fifth, but the CNMI tallied a pair in the bottom of the sixth when the Omar singled Saures and Flores home to take the lead. The runs went unanswered by the fierce Floridians, and Secharmidal K’d the final batter for the victory.

The Juniors weren’t as fortunate in their match up with the All-Stars from Mexico on Thursday in Taylor, MI, as they fell to the representatives of the Guaymas Little League of Guaymas, Sonora by a 4-2 score.

The International Final for the Junior League will be between the undefeated team from Venezuela (4-0) and the Mexicans (3-1). The game will be played at 7am this morning Saipan local time, with the winner advancing to the Junior Little League World Series.

For the Seniors, it will be the Dade City Little League (3-1) and the El Rio Little League team from Oxnard, CA (3-1) that advanced to face the teams from Pool B in the playoffs.

Congratulations are in order for Jesse Borja, Shane Yamada, Jesus Iguel, Vince Sablan, Martin Pangelinan, Josh Arriola, Joe Salas, Thorn Sablan, Ryan Ada, Jonathan Salas, Kevin Babauta, Nicolas San Nicolas, Nunu Kapileo, Juan Tenorio, manager Sonny Flores, coaches Tony Celis and Ray Sablan of the Junior League for their performance in Taylor, MI.

Congratulations are also in order for Oliver Secharmidal, Antoine Allen, Tony Palacios, Franco Flores, Ben Tasikan, Tyrone Omar, Dan Concepcion, Jeff Saures, Zachary Concepcion, Derrick Babauta, Jesse Garcia, Thomas Guerrero, Many Ada, and Peter Tenorio, Manger Jess Wabol, of the Senior League for their efforts in Bangor, ME.