Yankees, Brewers grind out wins

Stevedore Northern Yankees held it together and overcame defending champion St. Michael’s Medical Response Angels (2-1), 5-3, in Monday’s Saipan Major League matchup at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

In addition, the Tan Holdings’ Brewers pulled out a last inning, 6-5, rally thanks to a two-RBI walk off smash by Roy Celis to steal a win from Ol’Aces (1-1) last Wednesday.

The season continues tonight at 6:30pm on Tan Ko Field with the Masters (0-1) taking on the D-9ers (0-1). The IP&E Fielders (1-2) make up the rest of the field.

Angels’ John Reyes broke the ice in the first inning with a double and scored off a wild pitch, but the Yankees knotted it back at 1-apiece in the bottom of the second off an RBI single by Chris Camacho.

After a quiet third inning, Angels’ Reyes led off the fourth with a base hit and stole second and third base before swiping the plate to put his team back in the driver’s seat.

Yankees pitcher Joshua Jones did a good job handling the rest of the Angels lineup and received some welcome help from his teammates to overcome the defending champions.

Yankees’ David and Greg Camacho delivered a pair of clutch RBI singles to reclaim control, 3-2, in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Angels leadoff man Marvin Kaipat reached off an error and scored off a suicide steal in the top of the sixth, but Yankees’ Jones had enough left in the tank to secure the win.

Chris Camacho provided a pair of insurance runs with a base smash in the bottom of the eighth inning

Reyes batted 3-for-4 and was the only player to get a hit off Yankees ace Jones, who went the distance and gave up two earned runs and a pair of walks with 20 strikeouts. Yankees’ Chris Camacho batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a hit-by-pitch.

The Brewers sprinkled a run in the first, third, and sixth innings before Ol’Aces hit the board.

Brewers’ Manny Sablan doubled home Darren Pua in the opening frame. Pua came around again in the third off an error and Mike Pangelinan drove in Roy Celis with a base knock in the sixth inning.

After coming up empty six times in a row, Ol’Aces somehow managed to seize the lead, 4-3, in the top of the seventh inning off three hits and a couple of errors.

Juan Iguel doubled and then reached home off an error. Tyrone Omar and Mike Iguel bagged RBI singles and Charlie Wabol dinked in another run.

After the uprising, the Brewers called Vince Cepeda to the mound to close the game, but Ol’Aces leadoff man Jesus Iguel answered with an RBI base rip that provided a 5-3 edge in the top of the eighth.

Brewers’ Byron Kaipat drove in Roy Celis to pull the crew to within a run, 4-5, heading into the last inning.

Ol’Aces closer Juan Maratita was just one away and plunked the ninth batter.

He served up another bean ball and a base hit that loaded the bases before Roy Celis stepped in and pulled around on a walk-off two-RBI base smash.