Four tied for fourth in SSA

The playoff race is heating up in the Sai-pan Softball Association, as there are four teams tied for the fourth spot in the standings due to Friday night’s action in the Men’s Island Wide Slow Pitch Softball League at the Oleai Sports Complex.

The Island-Mix rallied back from a 14-2 deficit to down the Bud Light Chura in the opening game of the pre-weekend triple-header by a 19-16 score to even their records at 8-4. The long road back to victory began when they railed off six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to reel in the Chura, 14-8. The Bud Light squad tacked on a couple of more runs to increase their lead to 16-8, but the resilient Island-Mix scored another six runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 16-14.

After the Chura bats went silent in the top of the seventh, the Mix had the bases loaded off of a pair of walks and a single, when Pepi Tenorio was walked home to make the score 16-15.

With the bases still loaded, Tony Luzama cranked a grand slam home run to finish the game at a 19-16 score. Luzama finished the night with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate and four runs batted in.

In the second game of the night, Bring It On (4-7) brought their bats to Fadang (2-10), as Vince Teregeyo and his team put boys from the southern side out of their misery in five innings, 25-10.

Bring It On scored all of the runs that they would need in the first inning when the erupted for 15 runs off of 14 hits—to include a pair of homeruns from Jess Celis and Audie Maratita. Teregeyo led his squad with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate that included two scores and three ribbies off of a pair of base knocks, a double, and a three-bagger.

In the late game, Lachai (6-7) turned their contest with Team Juan Santiago (1-9) from a close 3-1 match up into a massacre when they exploded for 11 runs off of eight hits in the top of the third inning.

Second baseman Paul Reyes went a flawless 4-for-4 at the plate, with three singles, a double and three scores to lead his squad, while John Reyes was 3-for-4 with a pair of base knocks, a three-bagger and three scores.

Ben Jones had a good outing for Lachai as well, as the right fielder went 3-for-3 at the plate with a single, a pair of doubles, three scores, and a walk.