Senior League race neck and neck

The Saipan Little League Baseball Association continues to provide action for the players and entertainment for fans, and while all four divisions are well into the season, the six squads of the Senior League are still neck and neck with a shot at winning the pennant.

The top four squads are within a half-game of each other, and while the Hustlers hold a narrow lead in first place, they have a solid list of squads waiting to take their place in the pennant penthouse as they start to slip.

At 3-1, the Hustlers are off to a great start, and they have done so without any standouts, relying instead on team play and the league’s top pitcher in John Mafnas. With a perfect 2-0 and record a 3.27 earned run average, Mafnas is on a tear. He has fanned 14 would-be hitters through parts of four games and been atop the hill for 15 innings to help the Hustlers hold the top spot.

They won’t be there for long if the Falcons, Aztecs, and Ol’Aces have anything to say about it, as the trio of teams is tied for second with identical 3-2 records and each has a stockyard of sluggers waiting for another shot at Mafnas.

The Falcons are looking to be one of the most dangerous competitors largely because of the talents of Juan Tenorio Jr. and his league-leading .476 batting average and three triples. While junior is the senior Senior, he has a pair of powerful teammates with plate prowess in Buddy Igitol (.381) and Jerome Mira (.300).

They have a wily weapon on the other side of the plate as well in pitcher Marley Techur. Though he has had ups and downs this season, Techur has fanned 33 batters and has the second lowest ERA (3.94) in the game. Now all the Falcons have to do is knock off the Hustlers to grab a piece of the pennant.

The same goes for the Aztecs, as they have a solid squad on the field and at the plate. Daren Pua is the second leading hitter in the league with a .467 batting average and is tied with Tenorio with three triples, but he has a multi-talented teammate who has been raising eyebrows all around the ballpark.

Nicolas San Nicolas (.267) is among the league’s top hitters but his true strength is on the mound. Nobody has sent more batters back to the dugout more disappointed than San Nicolas, who fanned 36 though 22 innings, and his 5.73 ERA is good enough for third place in the pitching race.

The Ol’Aces are also 3-2, but they have maintained company with the league’s elite, powered solely by their performances at the plate. With Jesus Iguel (.438), Nunu Kapileo (.412), and Shane Yamada (.400) in their lineup, the Ol’Aces have all pitchers looking for relief before they take the hill.

Iguel has crossed the plate more than any other in the league, and his teammates are hoping to see him smiling his way back to the dugout many more times throughout the rest of the season.

At 1-3, it would seem that the Fielders are bounds behind their opponents, but they have managed to stay in the race with solid team effort in each of their outings, as have the 1-4 Marlins.

Last place is not where they want to be, but the Marlins are not in the cellar because of a lack of hitting. With five of the top hitters in the Seniors, the Marlins have reason to believe that they can improve.

Jonathan Pangelinan (.412), Vicente Concepcion (.333), Ben Leon Guerrero (.294), Keoni Pua (.250), and Vicente Camacho (.235) have led by example thus far, and their teammates are hoping that they can lift them into the post-season.