Braves nip Enforcers in Junior League

A Braves runner leaves third base to go home during their second meeting against the Kagman Enforcers in the Junior League division game in the SLLB at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Braves caught a big fish in division leader Kagman Enforcers after eking out a 7-6 victory in their Junior League game last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Braves found their targets early to take control of the match and then withstood their ground against the Enforcers’ rally to improve to a 4-4 record and hand the Enforcers their second loss in eight games.

Joe Tudela helped the Braves dictate the tempo of the match as he blasted a three-RBI double at the top of the second inning. Jose Alvarez added a run off the Enforcers’ error at third base for the Braves’ 4-0 lead.

Tudela was also the Braves’ starting pitcher and worked the mound in 2.6 innings, giving up no hits and walking three. He started his shift with back-to-back defensive stops as he teamed up with Philip Kapileo for the 1-3 putout plays on the Enforcers’ first two batters. The Enforcers went on to finish the bottom of the first inning without a run as they were called for the third out when Pedro Maratita was beaten to second base.

The Enforcers also failed to hit the board in the second, allowing the Braves to open a 4-0 advantage, which was extended to a 6-2 lead at the top of the third with Kapileo connecting an RBI double and reaching home off an Enforcers’ error.

The Enforcers then finally lit up the board at the bottom of the third, thanks to Sean Rabauliman’s two-RBI walk. However, the Enforcers went cold anew in the next two innings, while the Braves added one more run off Robin Sablan’s sacrifice out in the fourth inning for a 7-2 spread.

The Braves kept the five-run cushion after five and a half innings before the Enforcers rallied at the bottom of the sixth to move within one. Maratita and Tom Agulto each hit an RBI single in that comeback bid, while Gloyd Martin and Chris Achas scored the two other runs off a sacrifice out and catcher’s error.

The Enforcers then boosted their chances to steal the lead from the Braves and grab the win when the latter failed to reach home at the top of the seventh and last inning. At the bottom of the seventh, Donovan Guerrero led off for the Enforces, was hit by pitch, and eventually made it to third off a fielder’s choice and passed ball. However, Guerrero was left stranded at third and Achas at second as the Braves got the last two outs. A 5-3 putout play on Martin moved the Braves one out away from completing the upset, which happened when Alvarez caught a fly ball from Agulto. The Braves earlier got the first out off a 1-3 putout play on Rabauliman.