Braves beat Red Sox in Junior League

A Red Sox batter leans back to avoid being hit by a pitch, while the Braves catcher stands by to grab the ball during their Junior League game in the SLLB last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Braves got off to a good start to down the Red Sox, 9-6, in their Junior League game in the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Braves collected six runs in the first three innings to lead the Red Sox and withstood the latter’s comeback bid in the last four to earn the victory in the Best Sunshine International-sponsored competition.

Robin Sablan hit a two-run single at the top of the first inning to lift the Braves to a 4-0 advantage. The Braves two other runs came from Philip Kapileo’s sacrifice out and Jordan Babauta’s run off a Red Sox’s wild pitch. Sablan then made an RBI single in the third, while Josenio Alvarez had the same feat, giving the Braves a 6-2 advantage after three complete innings.

The Red Sox were held to two runs off Dai Podziewski and Derrick Reusora’s RBI single each. The Red Sox then got two earned runs and one more from a Braves wild pitch in the fourth and fifth to move closer, 5-6.

However, the Braves managed to create distance at the top of the sixth, thanks to Kapileo’s two-run double and one run off a passed ball from Lavec Iguel, who pinched run for Kapileo.

After the Braves tacked on three more runs in the sixth, all the Red Sox could do was countered with one run off Orren Cruz’ RBI walk at the bottom and the winning squad finished off their foes as closer Anthony Dizon got the third strikeout at the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded. Dizon came in for Sablan late in the sixth and started the last inning with back-to-back strikeouts before getting the final out against Reusora.

Last Saturday’s loss was the Red Sox’s third as they also bowed to the Kagman Enforcers last week.

The Enforcers also banked on their early production to set up the 7-0 victory. They scored five runs at bottom of the first and added two more in the sixth.

Gloyd Martin started out for the Enforcers on the mound and pitched four innings, allowing only one hit and one walk and striking four. Pedro Maratita relieved him and also shut down the Red Sox after recording six Ks and giving up only one hit and walking two.

On offense, the Enforcers leaned on Ignacio Mendiola’s 3-for-4 performance at the plate. The starting shortstop also scored one run and two RBIs.

In other results last week, the Falcons edged the Comets in the Senior League, 6-4, while the Islanders topped the Comets, too in the Big League match, 5-3.

Jhace Palacios led the Islanders, as he went 2-for-4 at bat and got a homer in the fifth inning. Jerald Cabrera was only 1-for-3, but tallied two RBIs. Cabrera had a two-run double in the first inning where the Islanders bagged three runs. The team’s two other runs came in the fourth and fifth, while the Comets were without a run in the first four innings before saving three in the fifth, but went scoreless anew in the last two.

In the Senior League, Richard Atalig blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning to lift the Falcons to the close win. Before Aguon’s home run, the Falcons and Comets were in a standoff, 4-4. The Falcons earned the four runs at the top of the third, while the Comets scored one run in the second and three in the fourth.

After giving the Falcons the lead, Atalig also pitched for the squad in the seventh and last inning, walking the leadoff batter before striking out the next three to end the match.