Back-to-back for Sakudi

  Sakudi clinched back-to-back championships after surviving 670 Babes in the women’s finals of the Chamolinian Softball Association’s 2nd Budweiser Softball League last Friday night at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

Sakudi was thunderstruck by the 670 Babes in Game 1, 4-5, but came back strong in the deciding Game 2, nailing a 11-3 victory.

Playing for the two-time champion were Kikki Aldan, Juanette Atalig, Eileen Babuata, Bert Camacho, Geri Dela Cruz, Lenise Kapileo, Liz Lebria, Janica Lizama, Erin Mendiola, Thelma Mizer, Juljen Ngeskebei, and Rachel Salalila. It took Sakudi players a while to get their bats going, but they pulled it off under the added pressure and reestablished their dominance in the women’s league.

Sakudi edged out Check It Out for pennant honors just prior to the playoffs and earned a first round bye. It went on to roll through the Rookies and the 670 Babes in the winners bracket semis before Friday’s rematch. Enamo Meta made up the rest of the field.

Game 1

670 Babes 5, Sakudi 4

Two hits and two extra throws around the infield gave Sakudi an early 2-0 lead, but 670 Babes tied it in the third inning off a couple of errors and an RBI double from Catalina Dela Cruz.

Sakudi answered with two quick runs off more 670 Babes blunders and an RBI single from Kikki Aldan in the fourth.

670 Babes then buckled down defensively after that and pulled off a nice double play to close the fifth, however they stranded two runs in the bottom portion and were hung up in what was perhaps the play of the night. Sakudi’s Juljen Ngeskebei made a backwards leaping snow cone catch at short and slung it over to first for the double play.

Unfortunately however, it did not boost a late rally for the reigning champs and it was the 670 Babes who mounted the upset at the cusp of regulation.

670’s Tani Masga, Erlinda Naputi and Edylyn Benjamin all led off the bottom of the seven inning with singles and Popo Tudela stepped in with the bases loaded and placed a drive into right field that tied the game, and a wild throw during the play prevented the sweep.

Game 1

Sakudi 11, 670 Babes 3

Sakudi made a statement out of the gate in Game 2 and hung up a five-run string in the opening frame off four hits and a pair of errors. It loaded the bases right away with a double, a hit, and an error for a two-RBI base smash from Mizer and a sacrifice fly from Aldan.

670 Babes managed a run off a fielder’s choice in the top of the second, but Sakudi trotted in front in the bottom frame,7-1, thanks to a two-RBI single from Camacho.

Sakudi players also brought their gloves with them in the deciding match and left their rivals with ducks on the pond in the fourth and went on to add four more runs in the bottom side off three hits and some errors by a deflated 670 Babes squad.

Two runners crossed home off errors, while Ngeskebei lifted a sacrifice fly and Salalila bagged an RBI single in the surge. Sakudi held it together out on the field in the late innings, giving up only a couple of unearned runs in the sixth frame.

By Walter J. Sutherland
Reporter