Seniors represent at SLLBA awards

Third of four parts

After applauding their younger brothers under the sun at Tan Ge Field this past Saturday, the Saipan Little League Baseball Association’s Senior Leaguers finally got their due for an exciting season that was highlighted by the UMDA Hustlers conquering the Aztecs in the championship.

Despite the fanfare for the winners of the postseason push, the AIC Fielders were recognized for their consistent effort that earned them the 2005 pennant, as were the Ol’Aces for falling just short as the runner-ups.

The Ol’Aces had plenty to celebrate over the weekend as several of their standout players earned awards based on their individual achievements at the plate and atop the mound.

Slugger Jesus Iguel was called more times than the Brown Tree Snake task force as he took top honors for leading the league with a .581 batting average, 20 plate crossings, and five triples.

Iguel was joined by Cadez Tenorio of the Fielder in taking the runs scored title, but in his absence, his father filled in to accept the trophy on his behalf. A slew of players managed to get a piece of the doubles and homerun crowns, as Shane Yamada of the Ol’Aces, Smith Reyes of the Aztecs, and Nunu Kapileo of the Braves each hit four two-baggers on the season, while five hitters tied with one homerun.

Ryan Laniyo, Joe Inos Aldan, Smith Reyes, Herbert Taitingfong, and Joe Salas will have to take turns upon the throne as the 2005 homerun king, but Salas will sport the hardware for driving the most runners across the plate with a league high 18 runs batted in.

Iguel nearly had his name called again for the Ol’Aces in the pitching ranks, but teammate Yamada edged him by allowing just one earned run off of 16 hits through 23 1/3 innings on the season to finish 4-1.

While Yamada was the top dog through seven games on the hill, nobody provided more of a breeze than ace Nicolas San Nicolas, as the flamethrower whiffed 86 would-be hitters.

Iguel eventually did make another trip to the circle of honor when he was dubbed the regular season’s most valuable player as the complete package, while Hustlers all-star Antoine Allen earned the nod for the championship’s MVP for his actions in the playoffs.

The biggest trophy on the table didn’t go to either of the teams that reached the finals or the top performing players as the Aztecs proudly accepted the coveted sportsmanship trophy for their attitude both on and off the field.