Pirates own Saturday at Tan Ko

On a day when many athletic organizations took time to relax on the sidelines, the Saipan Little League Baseball Association gave the boys of summer the chance to further prepare for this year’s all-star showdown in Indonesia as players from the Junior and Big Leagues suited up for Saturday action at Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

Josh Jones pitched to all but one batter and his teammates put just enough runs on the board to deal the Hustlers a loss as the Pepsi Fire Pirates scored a 7-4 victory under the sun at the Oleai Sports Complex.

Jones went six and two-thirds innings on the hill for the Pirates allowing four runs off of nine hits while fanning 11 before Ofero Taitano came in to force Tony Rogolifoi Jr. to ground to second that ended the game.

Hits came at a premium for the Pirates as no hitter managed more than one. Jones went 1-for3 with a double and a run batted in, while Taitano smacked a single as well. Teammate Alex Benavente went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and outfielder Donovan George drove in a run and stole a pair of bases for the Pirates.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Pirates added two more in the top of the third for a little breathing room. The relaxation abruptly ended in the bottom of the fourth when the Hustlers scored a pair of their own, but the Pirates answered with a four-run salvo in their next at bats to take a commanding 7-2 lead and held on for the win.

BIG LEAGUE
Pirates 10, Braves 7

After letting the Tanapag Braves tie the game at two apiece in the top of the third, the Pirates exploded with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game of reach as they earned another win at Tan Ko.

The Pirates only managed four hits during their fourth inning foray, but they got a little help as the Braves committed tow errors and walked two batters—all of whom eventually scored.

Third baseman Jesse Ramon had a solid day at the plate with an RBI double and an RBI triple, while catcher Patrick Alepuyo went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run triple for a total of four ribbies.

Pitcher Manny Ada went the distance on the hill for the Pirates, allowing seven runs off of nine hits through seven innings, and while the hit count was not so low, Ada raised eyebrows by fanning 13 on the day.

With a 10-2 lead in hand, the Pirates got a little lax in the top of the seventh as they allowed the Braves to rally for a five-hit, five-run inning before Ada sealed the deal by fanning Octavios Palacios for the fourth time in the game.