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Hustlers survive scare, beat Manhoben, 7-6
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Posted on Oct 31 2006
The Hustler maintained their hold on first place by defeating the Manhoben Young Guns in a one-run thriller Monday night when Vince Dueñas crossed home plate in the bottom of the ninth to give his team a 7-6 win.
Baseball fans watched one to remember at Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field as John Mafnas pitched eight solid innings for the Hustlers in his Saipan Major League Fall season debut. The 17-year-old student from Saipan Southern High School allowed just one run off of three hits and fanned 11 before handing the ball over to Kolani Castro between innings.
Mafnas left the field with a 6-1 lead and was a sure bet to get his first win but Castro didn’t enjoy the same success in relief as he walked three batters and allowed four runs on one hit through two-thirds before veteran hurler Jonathan Camacho faced the final two batters.
Even Camacho couldn’t get the job done for the Hustlers as Manhoben left fielder Daren Pua singled in Shane Yamada to tie the game in the top of the ninth, but Pua got greedy and was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double.
Manhoben closer Ben Cabrera walked John Delos Santos to lead off the bottom of the inning and Hustlers coach Tony Celis replaced him with the speedy Dueñas, who stole second and third.
With one out, Cabrera walked Byron Kaipat to set the stage for the game-winning run. The infield came in for what they expected to be a bunt from the next batter A. J. Dela Cruz.
The bunt didn’t come because catcher Bill Fleming tried to catch Kaipat in his attempt to steal second, but the throw went into centerfield as Dueñas ran home to end the game.
Kaipat went 2-for-4 at the plate with a single and a double, while shortstop A.J. Allen went 1-for-5 with a double, and playing coach Jerome Delos Santos went 1-for-5 with an RBI single.
The Hustlers enjoy a lengthy break from competition as they return to the ballpark on Wednesday, Nov. 8, when the first place squad takes on the defending champion Pirates while the Young Guns see their next action on Monday, Nov. 6, when they face off against the Tanapag Braves at 6:30pm.
