Man Amigos, Natibu absorb first losses

Natibu (9-1) overcame a 12-run deficit to exact the defending men’s champion Man Amigos (6-1) their first loss of the season, 16-15, in Monday’s Chamolinian Softball Association-2012 Budweiser Softball League matchup held at the Capitol Hill Ballfield.

Also on Monday, Sakudi (4-2) downed the Rookies (1-4), 14-3, in women’s play, while men’s Ur Balls (5-3) routed the G-Ballers (2-6), 25-12.

In addition, a pair of notable upsets served men’s Natibu and women’s Check It Out (4-1) their first losses of the season in last Friday’s episode.

Gagu Eyez (6-2) upset Natibu, 12-5, in the first match and women’s 670 Babes (3-2) followed suit with an 18-9 shocker over top-ranked Check it Out, while men’s Familia (4-5) was credited with a forfeit victory over Ur Balls in the late pairing. However, organizers may reschedule the matchup because the latter squad may have not been aware of the newly revised game schedule.

Lastly, Talu Fahn (2-6) toppled Managaha (0-8), 17-11, last April 30 and women’s Rookies led 670 Babes, 1-0, after the first inning before heavy rain called for a suspension of the match; the men’s late feature was also rained out.

Man Amigos went for the first round knockout and posted up 10 runs in the opening frame off 11 hits. John Reyes left the yard for two runs, Peter Saban bagged an RBI single, Julian Camacho ripped a two-RBI double, J.J. Laniyo bashed a three-run bomb, and two other runs came home off errors.

Both teams traded a run in the second, after which a sacrifice fly by Natibu’s Navan was answered with a solo shot by Reyes in the top of the fourth.

Natibu’s Jerome Delos Santos responded with a three-run blast in the bottom frame in an effort to breathe new life into his men heading into crunch time.

Natibu pulled within a handful, 7-12, in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Bruce Norita, and then jumped in the driver’s seat, 14-12, in the sixth with seven runs off eight hits. Delos Santos crushed an RBI single, Jess Taitano hammered a two-RBI double for the tie, and Oscar Sablan pushed them ahead with a two-run launch.

Man Amigos almost whipped up a last-second solution with a three-run home run by Joey Dela Cruz, but it was not enough.

Natibu’s Victor Salas led off the final stand with a solo shot and Aaron Benavente followed him with a base hit. Then after a costly error, Ned Nortia bashed a walk-off single for the win.

Sakudi scored on a three-run homer in the first inning, but the Rookies fired back with three runs in the bottom frame off an error, an RBI base rip by Nadine Camacho, and a sacrifice fly by Maribel Igitol.

Sakudi pressed on however and reassumed control, 7-3, in the second inning off early errors and five hits. Juljen Ngeskebei bashed a home run and Liz Lebria a triple in the ruckus.

The Rookies’ offense stalled after the promising start and was contained to just three hits in the remainder of the contest. Sakudi also took advantage of some errors out in the field as they extended their margin through the late innings.

Ur Balls took a 7-4 lead in the first inning off an RBI single by Vince Sablan Jr. and a three-run blast from Giovanni Ayuyu.

They then added six more runs in the second frame off six hits. Oliver Secharmidal busted an RBI double, Auide Maratita and J.P. Lizama bagged RBI singles, and Steve Igisair ripped a two-RBI base smash.

Ur Balls trudged ahead, 17-4, in the third inning and wiped away three runs by their opponents with another four-run cluster in the bottom of the fourth accrued by a double by Igisair, a base hit by Jun Angui, a sacrifice fly by Marvin Kaipat, and a double by Secharmidal.

G-Ballers’ John Kintaro and Jude Dickenson left the yard in a last-ditch rally effort, but Ur Balls never had a doubt.

Gagu Eyes surged in front, 9-2, right out of the gate off eight hits. Juan Tenorio cranked a two-run shot, Clyde Sablan bagged an RBI single, Swain Cangco jacked a grand slam, and Tyrone Omar drove in Noki Torres.

They came up dry in the second, but pulled off a double play to keep their rivals at bay in the bottom half.

Both teams bit down out on the field, which made runs hard to come by for the rest of the game.

Natibu’s Ken Kalen lifted a solo homer in the third inning, but it was later neutralized by an RBI poke from Gagu Eyez’s Sablan in the top of the fifth.

Gagu Eyes then contained Natibu to just two runs in the sixth inning, which were soon answered with a two-run homer by Tenorio in the seventh before Gagu Eyes kept a lid on Natibu in the final stand.

Check It Out started strong, but sputtered out as the game progressed, while the 670 Babes caught a second wind late in the game.

Check It Out led it, 5-2, after the opening frame with five hits, including a triple by Rellani Ogumoro, but the count soon became locked at 8-all in the second inning as the 670 Babes racked up six runs in the top portion off five hits. Daylinne Joseph, Mel Benjamin, and Catalina Dela Cruz bagged RBI singles and Kuki Pangelinan bashed a three-RBI double.

Remarkably, Check It Out was held to just one run after that point.

670 Babes seized the lead, 10-9, after the third inning off errors and it went just got worse for division frontrunners.

670’s Remy Mafnas pounded an RBI single after a gifted run via an error came to the plate in the fifth inning and her teammates piled on five more in the sixth frame and never looked back.

Talu Fahn gashed Managaha with a 10-run tear in the second inning off 10 hits to swipe the lead, 10-7, and put a choke-hold on Managaha from thereon.

Talu Fahn’s Ryan Mizutani drove in Anson Jones and was double to the plate along with Bill Auon by Stanley Aldan. Manny Ada stepped in next and cracked a two-run blast, while the other runs came home off errors, an RBI double by Floyd Dela Cruz, and a pair of RBI singles by Eldred Santos and Eric Cabrera.

Managaha’s Rick George pulled his team within a run in the third inning with a two-RBI base rip, and the group went ahead briefly in the fourth, 11-10, thanks to a two-run homer by Joey Sablan, but Talu Fahn regrouped in the fifth frame and took a 13-11 lead off a two-run shot by Jones and a fielder’s choice.

Talu Fahn buttoned up on defense and held their opponents scoreless in the clutch, while they worked around four insurance runs in the sixth inning off five hits highlighted by a two-RBI double by Jones.