Falcons pick up two wins in Juniors

Natibu Sports Association-Talaabwogh Falcons (5-4) bagged a pair of much needed victories with just five games left in the playoff race as Saipan Little League’s Junior Division regular season winded down over the weekend at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Hawaiya Technologies, Inc.-Ol’Aces remain at the helm with a 9-1 win-loss card and played the fourth place Saipan Shipping Company-Jets (5-5) last night. However details of that match will be released later in the week.

Second-ranked Bank of Saipan Red Sox (8-3) dropped two of three matches since the big upset, but are still riding comfortably in shotgun, while Ol’Aces bounced back from its lone loss to the Red Sox with a 13-10 victory over the DPS-Dare Program-Leep Enforcers (4-6) on Saturday

The Red Sox rebounded from a 14-19 loss to the Falcons last Saturday with a 13-3 run-rule victory over the IT&E Fielders (4-7) on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Falcons’ other win came against the Division of Youth Services-Rep. Ramon S. Basa-Frederick P. DL Guerrero-Kagman Lions (0-10), 15-3, back on Thursday, and the Jets dropped the Lions, 19-7, on Saturday.

Notably, the Falcons, Jets, and Enforcers are very much alive in the playoff race, while with a little luck the Fielders may still have an outside chance to sneak in.
[B] JUNIOR DIVISION

Red Sox 13, Fielders 3 [/B]

The Red Sox capitalized off three early runs from errors with a pair of RBI singles by Nathan Camacho and M.J. Sakisat in the first inning. Sakisat later stole home to give the Red Sox a 5-0 cushion.

The Fielders managed to get a run back from Kainao Wanket in the bottom frame, but the Red Sox padded their lead with four more runs in the third inning.

Two runs came around on some extra throws around the infield before Sakisat reached on an error and stole home and Jonathan Sagan brought in Jobe Reyes with a triple.

The Fielders’ Wanket doubled home George Pangelinan in the bottom frame, but the Fielders as a whole struggled at the plate against Red Sox’s Jerald Cabrera.

The Red Sox went on to add a pair of runs in both the fourth and sixth innings as they cruised to the easy win. Roke Tenorio bagged an RBI single in the fourth as did Sakisat in the sixth frame.

The Fielders last run came in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI single by Pangelinan that scored Ton Agulto.

Winning pitcher Cabrera went all six and gave up two earned runs off six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The Falcons broke the ice with three runs off four hits in the opening frame, including a pair of RBI doubles by Juan Quitugua and Christopher Sablan, but the Red Sox fired back with five runs in the bottom portion off a two-RBI triple from Roke Tenorio, an RBI base rip by M.J. Sakisat, and a two-RBI single by Jose Tyginco.

The Falcons briefly tied it in the second, but the Red Sox erected a commanding 12-5 margin in the bottom frame primarily off errors. Jerald Cabrera knocked in a run, M.J. Sakisat bagged an RBI single, and Jhace Palacios a two-RBI base knock.

After a quiet third the Falcons moved around three runs in the fourth off a Sablan sacrifice fly and a two-RBI double by James Kintaro and made another big stand on defense to close the bottom half.

They then jumped in front, 15-12, in the fifth after Red Sox starter Palacios was called off the mound.

The Falcons scored two runs and kept the bases juiced for a another two-RBI double by Kintaro and an RBI smash by Franklin Lizama.

The Red Sox pulled within a run in the bottom frame with a two-RBI base rip by Reyes, but the Falcons racked up four more runs in the late innings and held strong for the win.
[B] Ol’Aces 13, Enforcers 10 [/B]

The Enforcers severed a 3-3 standstill from the first two innings with two runs in the bottom of the third frame off a pair of RBI base rips by Caleb Takao and Darrion Jones, but the Ol’Aces erupted with six runs in the top of the fourth off a two-RBI double by Peyton Lizama, a pair of RBI triples by Mike Muna, and Terson Eina linked via an RBI base poke from Kenji Yamagata.

The count then shifted to 11-10 still in favor of the Ol’Aces as the Enforcers postured up with five runs in the bottom of the fifth off four hits. Fred Congao and Jeffrey Dela Cruz both cracked RBI doubles.

The Ol’Aces tapped Jessie Brel to close the last two frames and he did so with little trouble.

His teammates went on to add a couple of insurance runs in the top of the seventh as well.

Ol’Aces’ Muna batted 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a run. Enforcers’ Takao went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run
[B] Jets 19, Lions 7 [/B]

The Jets amassed a daunting 8-0 margin in the first two innings and hardly looked back.

K.J. Deleon Guerrero hammered an RBI triple to break the ice in the first inning and his teammates tacked in seven more in the second inning off four hits that followed some early walks.

Devyn Flores smashed a two-RBI double, Franco Nakamura bagged an RBI single, and Deleon Guerrero a two-RBI base rip.

After limiting its opponents to just one run at the start the third inning, the Lions’ lone roar came in the bottom frame.

The pride was gifted with six runs from six walks and some errors, but were never able to get anything going besides that.

Both teams added a run in the fourth inning and the Jets breached the skyline with three runs in the fifth and another six in the sixth for the early decision.

Nakamura bashed a two-run inside-the-park homer in the fifth, while the Jets racked up seven hits as a unit in the final frame.

Nakamura batted 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two other runs.
[B] Falcons 15, Lions 3 [/B]

The Falcons led it, 5-3, after two innings with four runs in the second inning off a two-RBI single by Bradley Lieto and a two-run home run by Juan Quitugua.

They then added three more runs in the third off here hits. Christopher Sablan scored off a wild pitch and Quitugua bagged an RBI single.

Falcons second reliever Quitugua came to the mound to close the last out of the second inning and held down the fort through the middle innings. He shut down the pride for 3 2/3 innings and then handed it off to closer Alfonso Evangelista.

At the plate, the Falcons sprinkled a run in the fifth and sixth frames before slamming the door with a handful of runs in last inning of regulation.

Joseph Lifoifoi bagged an RBI single in the fifth, Quitugua blasted a triple and stole home in the sixth and Drek Noag highlighted the seventh with a two-RBI triple.

Quitugua batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two other runs, a stolen base, and a base on balls.

Falcons pitching foursome Naog, Lifoifoi, Quitugua, and Evangelista each gave up zero hits in the game.