Cardinals break Natives’ win streak

Cardinals pitcher Nate Guerrero hurls a pitch against the Natives during their game in the 2023 Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League Wednesday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.(LEIGH GASES)

The last two undefeated teams of the 2023 Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League—Cardinals and Natives—duked it out Wednesday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field, with the Cardinals coming out unscathed as they snapped the Natives’ win streak.

In an exciting battle for first place supremacy, both teams delivered with the bats and on the mound, but the Cardinals’ bats fired the most runs for a 9-3 game.

The Cardinals wasted no time and scored two runs in the first inning off a triple by Brian Camacho. He brought in Nate Camacho after he was walked by Natives pitcher Henry Fleming and got into scoring position after a single by Jerald Cabrera.

After a run scare by the Natives in the first which they could not finish off, they scored a run in the second inning. 

A base hit by Jose Guerrero, then another single by Larson Sibetang put them in perfect position to score as Austin Benavente came through with his hit after a fielder’s error by the Cardinals allowed the run to come in safely.

While the Cardinals were shut down in the second with only one hit, they bounced back in the third and scored two runs. 

Nate Camacho was hit by a pitch then Jerald Cabrera avenged him by hitting a long double, then Camacho was brought home by his brother Brian’s sacrifice fly to the outfield. Poland Masaharu then batted in Cabrera after a single.

The Cardinals brought their momentum into the fourth inning and scored two more runs after the Natives’ pitching was faltering. Shane Yamada led off with a single and advanced to second after Nokki Saralu was hit by a pitch. 

A wild pitch to Nate Camacho allowed Yamada to score, then another sacrifice fly by Cabrera brought in Camacho for a 6-1 game as the Natives went scoreless in the third.

The Natives then replied in the fifth as Keoni Lizama and Sibetang ran home safely off a Cardinals’ fielding error. 

But they weren’t able to score anymore after that as the Cardinals pitcher got his act together and subsequently retired the Natives lineup in order, 1-2-3, in the last three innings through ground outs, one strike out, and only allowed one runner on base from a walk.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals added three more runs in the fifth inning as their speedy running game allowed them to be in scoring position and run home safely. In the inning, four bases were stolen—first by Eli Aughenbaugh who stole second then third and was brought home; Thorn Sablan also stole second who was brought in by Yamada; then Yamada stole second too but didn’t make it home as the Natives finally shut them down.

The Cardinals couldn’t get any more runs in the next couple of innings, but their nine runs were enough to secure their fifth win and remain undefeated in the season.