Braves stun Falcons to gain share of lead

A Tanapag Braves pitcher pitches to the Red Sox in an earlier game in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Miguel ?Tan Ge? Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. The Braves played last Saturday and stunned the Falcons, 12-2. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

There’s no more undefeated team in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball League, as the Tanapag Braves pulled off a 12-2 upset over the Falcons last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfiled.
The Falcons had its seven-game winning run snapped and was forced to share the lead in the 15-team field with the Braves. The Braves and the Falcons hold similar 7-1 records, as the former earlier topped Laolao Bay, 11-6, in a make-up game last Thursday.

Robin Sablan pitched the Braves to the big win, as he allowed only two hits and gave up only one earned run in five innings. The Braves pitcher also had five strikeouts and scored three runs and two RBIs on a 3-for-4 performance at bat. Sablan’s partner—catcher Joe Tudela—also did well at the plate, going 4-for-4 and collecting four RBIs and one run.

With Sablan and Tudela on target and the Braves’ defense holding strong, they threatened to end the game early, leading at 8-0 after four innings. The Falcons were shut out in the first four innings as they made it to scoring position only twice in that stretch. Leadoff batter Joel Norita reached third in the first inning with two outs, but was stranded along with another runner at second based, as fifth batter Justin Cangco was booted out on a 4-3 putout play. Max Pangelinan also advanced to third with only one out, but failed to get home, as the Falcons’ next two batters were beaten to first.

The Falcons finally lit up the board at the top of the fifth inning with Keoki Blas drilling an RBI double. He also reached home off the Braves’ error at shorts stop. However, Blas RBI and run could not stop the Braves from recording the biggest win last weekend, as the Tanapag-based squad countered with four runs to end the match one inning early.

Tudela secured the victory via 10-run mercy rule with his three-run double. The other run at the bottom of the fifth inning came from a Falcons’ miscue at shortstop.

McDonald’s 13, Twins 3
McDonald’s also bagged an early victory via 10-run mercy rule against the winless GSM Twins in the second game last Saturday.

McDonald’s now has won its last six games after going 0-3, while the Twins absorbed their seventh loss in as many matches.

The streaking McDonald’s set up the win in only five innings after pulling away in the third.

McDonald’s scored eight runs at the top of the third, turning a deadlock to an 11-3 advantage. Tommy Santos led the pivotal third with his three-run single, while L.J. Reyes contributed a two-run single. The three other were logged off the Twins’ booboos.

McDonald’s never looked back from thereon, as relief pitcher Jared Reyes shut down the Twins in the last three innings, allowing only one hit and striking out seven batters.

Little Legals 8,
Comets II 4
In the final game last Saturday, the Little Legals finished strong to down Comets II.
The Little Legals notched four runs at the top of the sixth and last inning to improve to an even 4-4 record.

Rayson Lisua broke the 4-4 tie, as he doubled and drove home second batter Domionne Babauta with only one out. Lisua also reached home off Sean Rabauliman’s single, while the latter also scored courtesy of Pedro Maratita’s base hit. Maratita then recorded the last run, as he made it home off a Comets II’s error at third base and the Little Legals closer capped the win in style, striking out their foe’s first three batters at the bottom of the sixth.

Meanwhile, in a make-up game last week, Comets I dominated the Hustlers, 12-2.
Ahead by only two, 4-2, Comets I racked up eight runs in the fifth inning to take the early decision. Clarence Cabrera had a two-run triple at the top of the fifth and also scored off a Hustlers’ miscue at first base, while Francisco Frederick and J.P. Castro each blasted an RBI single. The three other runs were tallied off the Hustlers’ two wild pitches and an error at right field.