Angels rally over Brewers in opener, 3-2
Reporter
“Don’t call it a comeback,” said Saipan Major League Baseball Association’s defending champion St. Michael’s Medical Response Angels, who mounted a 3-2 comeback victory over 2011 runner-up Tan Holdings Brewers in Monday’s 2012 season opener held at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
Brewers’ leadoff batter Thomas Camacho reached on an error and scored off a wild pitch for an early 1-0 lead in the opening frame.
However, Angels hurler Franco Flores recovered nicely on the mound and kept a lid on the Brew crew through the remainder of regulation, allowing his teammates to lock the game at 1-all in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Angels’ leadoff batter Marvin Kaipat hustled on and around with a little help from some infield errors.
The chess match continued as a stalemate in the last three frames until the game entered into an extra inning.
Brewers’ Darren Pua reached on a fielder’s choice and scored off an error up the middle to put his team three outs away from the win, but the Angels’ top of the order fired back in the bottom half of the 10th inning and stole the win.
Kaipat and John Reyes drew leadoff walks, which set up a pair of clutch RBI singles by Pete Tomokane and Timothy Cruz; the latter played the hero with the walk-off base smash.
Cruz batted 3-for-5 with the clutch RBI.
Winning pitcher Flores went all 10 innings and gave up two unearned runs off just three hits a walk and two bean balls with six strikeouts.
The season continues at 6:30pm tonight on Tan Ko Field with the Fielders taking on the San Roque Yankees.