Pirates take SML Fall crown with clutch hitting

The Pirates completed another successful chapter in their team history after claiming the coveted title of the SML Fall League Saturday afternoon at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

With their road to glory stalled over the last weekend after dropping Game 3 and having Game 4 postponed due to rain, the Pirates were able to end the season on a high note as Tommy Dela Cruz whacked a game-winning single that lifted the team to a down-the-wire 7-6 victory over the Hustlers.

The Pirates were down to their last two outs and trailed by a run, 5-6, when B.J. Sablan connected for a double. Josh Dela Cruz came in as a pinch runner and stole third before scoring the tying run on a costly error, which served as a big relief for the Pirates as they had prevented the game from ending in regulation with them in the losing corner.

Meanwhle, Luis Iguel also reached base after drawing a base on balls. The speedy slugger stole second and advanced to third base on a single by B.J. Seman.

That set the stage for Tommy Dela Cruz, who came through in the clutch as he bruised the ball for a single that brought Iguel home for the title.

Dela Cruz had a great day at the plate as he went 3-for-5 with two singles and a double. He also scored a run.

The Pirates worked from behind from the start as the Hustlers were determined to extend their season by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. With two outs, J.R. Suel walked and scored on a double by slugger Manny Sablan, who was credited with the second run after crossing home plate on an error, 2-0.

The Hustlers padded their lead in the second inning as Vincent Sablan walked and scored on another error, 3-0.

The Pirates weren’t rattled, though, and moved closer with a two-run performance in the bottom of the second. Seman reached base on an error and Tommy Dela Cruz singled before the two scored on a hard hit by Jonathan Villagomez.

After shutting down the Hustlers in the third, the Pirates were able to pull even as Robert Bansil reached base on another error and scored.

The Pirates were able to take the lead in the fifth inning as J.P. Sablan drew a base on balls advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Iguel, and scored on a single by Seman, 4-3.

They padded their lead in the next inning as Villagomez connected for another hit and scored on a sacrifice by Ben Jones, 5-3.

The Hustlers, though, were far from giving up and staged a two-out rally in the seventh inning. A.J. Allen and Jerome Delos Santos drew consecutive base on balls and Suel ripped a single that brought Allen home. Delos Santos tied the game with another run on an error, and Suel was brought home by a single by Manny Sablan.

Neither teams scored in the eighth inning, setting the stage for the ninth-inning comeback by the Pirates.

Seman was also solid at the plate as he also went 3-for-5 with two runs and a run batted in while Jones and B.J. Sablan had two hits apiece. Villagomez went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

Manny Sablan led the Hustlers with two hits, a run, and an RBI while Suel went 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, and a base on balls.

Ace James Kintol went the distance for the Pirates, striking out seven batters while giving up just five hits.

Kintol is MVP

It was only fitting that Kintol was on the mound when the Pirates won the title as he was the team’s ace hurler throughout the season, and was recognized for his efforts by snagging both regular season and championship most valuable player awards.

Kintol dominated atop the mound as he finished the season with a league-best 0.19 earned run average and 34 strike outs to also bag the Pitcher of the Year hardware.

In all, the Pirates took home 12 awards aside from their championship.

Joining Kintol were J.P. Sablan, Jesse Iguel, Luis Iguel, and coach Craig Sanchez as all were lauded for their strong performances.

Sablan proved to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers as he won the batting title with a .475 batting average after connecting for 19 hits in 40 at bats. He also claimed the runs title with 13 and was king of the runs batted in department with 11.

For his part, Jesse Iguel was co-champion of the home run department and was also recognized as rookie of the year after finishing in second in the batting race with an average of .425. He hit safely in 14 out of 33 chances.

Luis Iguel was recipient of the Golden Glove Award for the outfield as he recorded 14 putouts, had two assists, and committed no errors.

Sanchez was crowned coach of the year for leading the Pirates to a runner-up finish in the regular season and the championship.

Others who received individual awards include Clint Quitugua of Tanapag No Zone as he had the most doubles with six. Teammate Jordan Suel showcased his speed and was the league triples champion with three three-baggers, while James Villacrusis of the Hustlers was co-champion of the home run department.

Timo Mafnas of the D-9ers took home the Golden Glove for the infield with 46 putouts five assists, and just two errors while Henry Iguel was catcher of the year after hitting .407 and finishing third in the batting race. He reached base safely in 11 out of 27 at bats.

Tony Celis also won manager of the year honors after leading the Hustlers to the pennant and a runner-up finish.

The Sportsmanship Award went to No Zone.