Yankees take Game 1, 4-2

The Northern Yankees took a huge step toward regaining their 2003 title as they edged the Ford Rangers by a pair of runs to win the opening game of the Saipan Major League championship series, 4-2, at Francisco M. Palacios Field.

The winning run scored in the bottom of the fifth when Yankees centerfielder Clifton Silil reached base on an error and took advantage of another to cross home plate. Silil accounted for most of the Yankees offense with a pair of singles and three scores to finish the night 2-for-4, but the big bat of Mel Sakisat got the ball rolling for the pinstripers.

The hard-hitting third baseman drove in Silil and Ben Jones to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a single en route to a 2-for-3 outing at the plate.

While the hitters gave the boys from the north the lead, hurler Jonathan Tenorio let them keep it in tact with a solid outing atop the mound. Affectionately known as “Our own Wakefield” by his Division of Sports and Recreation coworkers, Tenorio pitched four scoreless innings before getting pulled in the fifth following a walk and two hits in the first three he faced.

Tenorio got some relief from Everette Ngiraidong who went the rest of the way allowing only one hit and fanning three in four and two-thirds to pick up the save. In the other dugout, the Rangers got a quality outing from starter Norman Tenorio, who allowed three runs off of four hits through four and two-thirds before JP Flores finished the final three and a third with a run and two hits against.

The hits were few and far between as both teams combined for 12 on the night. After the Yankees took a 3-0, they Rangers answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 3-2. That was as close as they would get, however; as the pennant champs tallied another run in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to 4-2.

The loss put the Rangers in a hole, as the former Pirates have done before, but the resilient silver and black sluggers will be gunning to even the score at 1-1. They punched their ticket to the finals on Saturday night when the defending champion Miller Lite Brewers had to forfeit due to a lack of players. Manager Tony Rogolifoi expressed his displeasure that batting champ Tony Celis will not be able to continue in the postseason.

“It’s frustrating and I’m disappointed, but what can I do. We’ll just have to continue the playoffs with out the Brewers,” he said.

Unfortunately for the Brew crew, relief came 15 minutes too late as their ninth player showed up to the park following Rogolifoi’s official forfeit to the umpires.

The action continues tonight when the Yankees look to take a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-five series at Palacios Field at 6pm.