Masters hold off D-9ers, 7-6

 The Masters grinded out a 7-6 victory over the D-9ers in Wednesday’s Saipan Major League Baseball matchup held at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The win evened the Masters’ win-loss card to 1-1, while the D-9ers are still in search of a win after two tries.

The season continues at the Tan Ko Field at 6:30pm on Monday night with the Masters taking on the IT&E Fielders (1-2).

D-9ers struck first in the opening frame when Isaiah Liazama led off with a double and scored off an error.

The Masters answered with four runs to start the second off two hits.

D-9ers called E.J. Tenorio in to relieve starting pitcher Vicente Tenorio after Masters’ Smith Regis moved his way around for a quick run.

However, Masters worked him well at the plate and set up a free pass to the plate for Mark Flores and a two-RBI base rip by Mabel Ngirengmeles that scored Ed Santos and Larry Tenorio.

D-9ers battled back and pulled within a run in the bottom frame as Ray Yumul reached off an infield error and came around to score thanks to a wild throw from right field.

The speedy Lizama was the culprit out of the box and he wheeled all the way to third on the play before being driven home by Vincent Cabrera.

The Masters were not discouraged despite its late defensive blunders and tacked up two more runs in the third inning off some costly errors by the D-9ers.

D-9ers regrouped, however and pulled within a run, 5-6, in the bottom of the fourth off a trio of hits by the top if its lineup.

Lizama scored Derick Sablan with an RBI single, while Cabrera and Wally Yumul cranked a couple of base smashes that brought in the second run.

Notably, Masters pitcher Ben Duenas finished strong and gave up just one run in the last five innings of the match. D-9ers’ Ben Mesa drove in Emul in the seventh inning, but Duenas stranded their last three runners in the final two frames.

D-9ers’ E.J. Tenorio did a good job keeping his team in range, allowing only one run in the sixth inning when Masters’ Paul Camacho bashed an RBI double that scored Ngirengmeles, but was eventually replaced by Emul for the last two innings.

Masters’ Regis went 0-for-2, but managed three base on balls for two runs. Ngirengmeles swung 1-for-2 with two RBIs, a run, two base on balls, and a hit-by-pitch. D-9ers’ Lizama batted 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs and Emul swung 3-for-5 with a run.

Winning pitcher Duenas went the distance and gave up just one earned run off 11 hits and a bean ball with four strikeouts.