Pirates pitchers prevail in SML Fall

It’s difficult to fathom how the Pirates managed to take second place in the pennant race, as they lead just about every category on the offensive side of the ball, and even more so after a glance at the pitching statistics shows them at the top of the Saipan Major League’s fall standings.

James Kintol was the king of Kan Pacific Baseball Field, the Mayor of Marpi, and the prince of the Pirates as he gave up the least amount of runs, fanned the most batters, and racked up the highest win total of any of his strong-armed counterparts.

Despite giving up 20 hits, Kintol allowed just one earned run over the course of his 23 innings atop the mound that spanned seven games. The hard-throwing righty finished the season with three wins against a pair of losses, but his crowning achievement was his 0.39 earned run average.

As if that weren’t enough, Kintol was also the league’s strikeout king after sending 34 would-be hitters back to their dugouts empty handed. The Pirates had plenty of pitching to go around the mound, as their second best slinger was also the league runner-up in the ERA race.

Other than Kintol, Joshua Dela Cruz was the only hurler in the SML with 10 innings under his belt to yield only one run throughout the season. Dela Cruz worked his magic through three games by allowing four hits en route to attaining a 0.90 earned run average.

He wasn’t the only Dela Cruz who was “Dela cruising” on the hill for the Pirates, as Ray Dela Cruz finished the regular season with the SML’s fourth lowest earned run average at 1.59.

The Dela-Duo combined for a 2-0 record and 32.2 innings, and yet their team still had another hurler with a penchant for power. The Pirates were full of topnotch pitchers, but their well ran deep enough to include the league’s eighth lowest ERA as well with J.P. Sablan’s 3.18.

Opposing hitters had their handful when they faced the Pirates at the Kan Pacific Baseball Field, but the last place D-9ers had a weapon to wield in Jun Camacho. Camacho finished the season with a 1-0 record and allowed two runs through 11.2 inning of work for a 1.54 ERA in a limited showing, but Jesse Agulto carried most of the load for the Nine.

Agulto logged 28.1 innings on the hill through seven games, and allowed 21 runs off of 45 hits. While his 6.67 earned run average was not too flashy, his 16 strikeouts were good enough for the fifth most of any ace in the league.

Third place Tanapag No Zone also had a seven-game pitcher in Mike Taitano, but he wrapped up the season with the fifth best ERA (2.48), and 18 strikeouts through 25.1 innings of labor.

The pennant champion Hustlers boasted a pair of pitcher with identical ERA’s and a truckload of talent, as Jonathan Camacho and A.J. Allen provided the backbone of the first-place defense.

Each of the aces went 23.1 innings for matching 2.70 earned run averages, but Allen had a two-run edge in the strikeout department with 23 fan jobs through five games, while Camacho whiffed 21 through six.

The Hustlers played solid team ball all around the field to get them the top billing in the playoffs when they face the D-9ers on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006. The action continues at noon when the pennant runner-up Pirates tango with the Tanapag No Zone.