DCEPT 6 wins Customs softball tourney

DCEPT 6 needed an extra game to thwart Faha and top the 2008 Customs Goodwill Fundraising Softball Tournament held over the weekend at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

DCEPT 6 earned a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals having swept its three games in the elimination round, but failed to finish the job early, losing Game 1, 8-19.

In Game 2, DCEPT 6 got its act together and recorded a 16-5 victory to foil Faja’s upset bid.

A seven-run bottom of the fourth helped DCEPT 6 pull away, taking a 13-5 lead, going into the last three innings.

DCEPT 6 scored three runs off Faja’s errors, as the latter’s outfielders and first and second basemen had butterfingers, losing the ball several times.

In contrast, DCEPT 6’s defense hung in there, giving up no runs in the next two innings.

Going into the top of the last inning, DCEPT 6 was ahead by 11 runs, 16-5.

Faja was forced to score at least 11 runs to tie and extend the game, but failed to deliver under pressure.

DCEPT 6 pitcher Elias Rangamar struck out Faha’s leadoff batter at the top of the seventh inning for the first out.

Skip Palacios kept Faja’s title bid alive when he hit a solo over-the-fence homer to leftfield.

But that was the last time Faja scored, as Doi Manalo was beaten to first on a 6-3 putout play. The game ended after third baseman Luis Iguel caught a grounder from Phil Celis, who did not even attempt to run to first base, knowing Iguel was headed for a quick throw.

Luis Iguel went 4-for-4 in the deciding Game 2, scoring three runs, two singles, a double and a two-run homer.

Leftfielder Byron Kaipat also had a two-run homer in the first inning and was 2-for-3 at the plate. Rightfielder Ben Taisakan was the third DCEPT 6 player to make a two-run homer and he also went 2-for-3.

Toi Celis had two homers in Game 2 and was 3-for-3 at the plate, while the rest of his teammates struggled, hitting fly balls which DCEPT 6 fielders usually caught.

Eleven teams competed in the weekend tournament. The list include Mangge, FAS, Your Balls, Sufa, Miller Killer, Heats, AJ’s, Natibu, and Sakudi Umbre.

DECEPT 6 defeated Sakudi (4-2), AJ’s (8-6), and Faja (12-9), in the preliminaries.

Faja prevailed over FAS, 11-6, and Mangge, 13-5, and advanced to the finals after beating Sufa in the losers’ bracket semifinals, 10-6.