Palacios is Cy Young of CNMI

Though the rainy weather has kept the post-season action of the Saipan Major League at bay, water droplets and clouds have done little to affect batters in the fall league in contrast to the game’s top pitchers.

In 16 innings pitched, Anthony Palacios of the Kautz Glass Glazers averaged a little better than a strikeout an inning (17) during his six games on the mound. Palacios allowed nine hits and finished the season with a record of 2-0.

Opposing sluggers were at a disadvantage when they entered the batter’s box, as Palacios ruled the mound with a subterranean 0.56 earned run average was the best in the four-team league.

There’s little question as to why the Glazers had one of the top teams in the SML this season, as they had the league’s No. 2 pitcher in their stable as well. Mc Gregory Camacho was a shade higher than Palacios in the ERA department (0.98), but he was atop the mound for 18.1 innings of work.

Camacho gave up 12 hits and two runs during the course of six games, but despite a stellar average, finished the season with a 1-2 record.

The Glazers also looked to the duo of Darson Camacho and Franco Flores for the answer to their pitching needs, as Darson lead all hurlers with 34.2 innings pitched and Flores went 14.2 innings.

Camacho fanned 27 batters for the second spot in the league, and gave up a total of 35 hits and nine earned runs to finish the season with an ERA of 2.31, while Flores surrendered eight hits and four runs to finish with a 2.45.

The four-team race was tight all season long, as all of the teams finished within a game of each other, and pitcher Brandon Santos of the North Stars was a big part of the reason his squad finished near the top.

Santos pitched in parts of four games during the season and gave up two runs off of nine hits in 16.1 innings of work to finish with a 1.10 earned run average. While he had the lowest ERA of the Stars, teammate Jonathan Tenorio carried the heaviest load on the mound with 30 innings of work.

Tenorio finished the season with an impressive 1.80 ERA, and did the lion’s share for the Stars, allowing six earned runs and 30 hits in four games of work.

The Pirates’ Jonathan Jones also provided the majority of pitches for his team, as he went 34.1 innings. Jones allowed seven earned runs off of 24 hits that were spread out over five games. The brightest Star on the mound also led the league with 29 strikeouts, and finished the season with a 1.84 earned run average.

The Hustlers spread the load out evenly among their top three hurlers, as Jonathan Camacho, Roy Celis, and Byron Kaipat averaged about 24 innings apiece during the season.

Camacho threw in 23.1 innings and gave up four earned runs and 24 hits to finish with the lowest ERA of the trio at 1.52. Celis logged an even 24 innings atop the mound, and allowed seven earned runs off of 25 hits for an ERA of 2.76, while Kaipat gave up six earned runs off of 25 hits in 26 innings of work to finish the season with a 2.77 ERA.