Mafnas hurls Rock Steady to victory

John Mafnas pitched in relief to help the league leading Rock Steady to a 10-1 win over the Ford Rangers in Monday night’s 3rd Annual Budweiser-Saipan Major League game at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

Mafnas relieved starter Ton Palacios, pitching six shutout innings in relief and limiting the usually hard-hitting Rangers to one-hit—a Franco Flores single in the bottom of the eighth.

The win was the eighth straight in as many games for the Mel Tenorio-managed Rock Steady giving them a 2 1/2 game lead over the defending champion YCO Corp.-Tanapag Falcons.

Mafnas struck out three batters and walked three more as he limited the Rangers to hit fly outs, grounders, and line drives. The Rangers were coming off a 14-4 thrashing of the Falcons last week and the loss dropped them to fifth place with a 4-3 slate.

Nicolas San Nicolas closed out for Rock Steady and earned the save despite giving up back-to-back doubles to Pete Tomokane and Robert Bansil. Tomokane doubled against San Nicolas to lead off the ninth.

Bansil then slapped an RBI double to score Tomokane. He was later caught in an 8-5 putout play when he tried to steal third as center fielder Tyrone made the relay throw to third baseman Tony Celis for the first out.

Ben Tagabuel grounded out to Lizama, who fielded it cleanly to Byron Kaipat for the second out and San Nicolas ended the game when he struck out J.J. Laniyo.

Palacios, Mafnas, and San Nicolas held the Rangers to a combined 4-for-30 in batting or a .134 average.

Veteran CNMI national campaigner Manny Sablan led Rock Steady’s hit parade going 3-for-5 against his former team. He scored one run, had a triple, and had three RBIs. He had a sacrifice fly to allow Dane Lizama to reach home in Rock Steady’s five-run ninth-inning scoring spree.

Cousins Tony and Roy Celis combined for 6-for-10 in batting. Tony scored twice in the game while Roy had one run and an RBI single in the fifth.

Martin Pangelinan, who is a CNMI Big League All-Star member who went to the World Series in Easley, South Carolina last year, went 2-for-5 and scored one run with a two-RBI triple in the ninth inning.

Lizama went 2-for-6 scoring twice and had a triple while Ton Manibusan, who struck out in his first at bat went 2-for-5 with one run scored.4/30

Last May 2, the Chel’s Lawn Care D9ers pulled off a 15-12 win over Bridge Capital Kabur.

John Acosta went 2-for-5 connecting with a two-RBI double in the second inning. He scored three times in the game and finished with four RBIs.

Pat Alepuyo struck out twice going 1-for-6 but had a two-RBI single in the fourth. Tony Camacho went 4-for-6 with two runs scored, a double, and two RBIs.