Braves, Enforcers ease past opponents

The NSA Braves and JPO Enforcers made short work of their respective foes in the Senior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Braves played in the first game and bagged the victory via 10-run mercy rule, 14-3, against the Lions after only six innings. An eight-run top of the sixth inning allowed the Braves to finish off the Lions one inning early and improve to a 4-1 record for second place behind the unbeaten Red Sox, who held a 4-0 slate pending results of last Sunday’s third and final game (against the Jets).

Only one batter from the Braves’ top of the order did not reach home in the pivotal top of the sixth, as last year’s runner-ups to the Fielders gained three earned runs and five off the Lions’ miscues. Second baseman A.J. Evangelista, shortstop Roke Tenorio, and centerfielder Mel Sakisat hit RBI singles, while the Braves got two runs off passed balls and one each off errors from Lions relief pitcher Perry Celis and centerfielder J.J. Chong, and a wild pitch. Before scoring eight runs in the sixth inning, the Braves were only ahead by three, 6-3.

The Lions got the three runs off passed balls in the first and third inning and an RBI single from starting pitcher Ernest Sablan. Their so-so offense in the first four innings pressured the Lions to score at least two runs to extend the game to one more inning and they had a chance, but blew it in the end.

Sablan got into scoring position, as he walked and made it all the way to the third with no outs. However, the Lions were caught with two quick outs, as the Braves fashioned out a double play with Evangelista picking up a shot from third batter Ton Ilo and beating runner Celis before throwing to first baseman Angel Palacios for the second out. The Braves then stranded Sablan to third and wrapped up the match one inning early after relief pitcher J.J. Lifoifoi struck out Jesus Dela Cruz.

In the second game, the Enforcers (3-2) clinched an 11-4 victory over the Fielders (0-5) after six and a half innings.

The Enforcers beat the Fielders in the third and four inning exchanges, as the former scored four runs apiece in that span against the combined four of the latter to open a 10-4 lead. The Enforcers earlier gained two runs in the first inning off Cedric Camacho’s RBI single and a Fielders booboo. Then in the third inning, Darion Jones blasted an RBI double, while Jeff Dela Cruz had a sacrifice fly, while the two other runs were recorded off the Fielders’ errors. The Fielders gave up another run off their defensive lapse, while the three other runs in the fourth were courtesy of Verlance Secharmidal’s single.

The Fielders, who were scoreless in the first two innings, got three unearned runs in the third to break their silence, but collected only one in the fourth off another Enforcers miscue. The Fielders then failed to overhaul the deficit in the last three innings with Camacho and Secharmidal manning the mound.

Camacho, who started off for the Enforcers, bagged two more strikeouts in the fifth and sixth before returning to the dugout for Secharmidal in the last inning. He gave up no hits and walked one in that two-inning stretch and was instrumental in the quick three outs in the sixth inning. He teamed up with Jones in the two 1-3 putout plays against the Fielders first and third batter and struck out the second batter.

In the seventh inning, the Enforcers also knocked off the first two batters with shortstop Peyton Lizama catching a fly ball from Joe Seo and Secharmidal striking out Austin Roberto. Secharmidal then lost third batter J.P. Taitano on base on balls to keep the Fielders’ hopes alive, but not for long, as the latter was eventually beaten to second for the third and last out.