Walk-off singles lift Falcons, Ol’Aces to titles

The Falcons’ Ben Cabrera and Ol’Aces’ Virolanson Secharmidal connected on walk-off singles to power their respective teams to a title win in the Big League and Major League divisions of the 2009 Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday.

Cabrera’s walk-off single drove Taco Camacho home and lifted the Falcons to a 6-5 win over the Fielders in the battle of the last two seeded teams in the playoffs.

The Falcons defeated second-ranked Ol’Aces in the semifinals, 5-4, last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield, while Fielders stunned pennant champions Hustlers, 3-2. The Hustlers downed Ol’Aces last Saturday, 11-6, to take the pennant.

The title match in the Big League division went down-to-the-wire, as both teams seemed tired from playing consecutive games.

The Fielders scored one run apiece in the first four innings before the Falcons’ defense shut them out in the last three. The Fielders had a good chance to end their drought at the top of the last inning, as their bases were loaded with Lawrence Sablan at bat. Sablan hit his target, but second baseman Buddy Igitol caught the fly ball.

Juan Tenorio led off for the Falcons, who had two runs in the second and one each in the third, fifth, and sixth, at the bottom of the last inning and was beaten to first. Camacho was then hit by pitch and later advanced to second and third on Fielders’ errors. Aldan walked and moved to second on another Fielders’ miscue.

With one of the top batting leaders in the Big League at the plate, Falcons manager Doru Camacho told Saipan Tribune in a brief interview that he was confident Cabrera can make the winning hit. After a low pitch, Cabrera blasted a single with the ball dropping to the leftfield, almost going over the fence, and sealed the championship for the Falcons.

Over at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Ballfield, Secharmidal duplicated Cabrera’s feat to lead the Happy Market-sponsored Ol’Aces to a similar 6-5 victory against the San Antonio Dragon in extra inning.

With the game tied at 5-all and with one out and first baseman Mike Muna at third base, Secharmidal let go of two high balls before making the game-winning single with the ball landing near second base.

The game ended at 3-all after relief pitcher Alden Ngeskebei struck out Ol’Aces’ last two batters at the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Dragons took the lead at the top of the seventh, 5-3, with Jonathan Villagomez and Ngeskebei reaching home plate on Ol’Aces errors. Ol’Aces also scored two runs on Dragons’ miscues to tie the game, anew, before Secharmidal and Muna teamed up for the game-winning run.