Cepeda fans 12, Brewers still unbeaten

Vince Cepeda pitched four shutout innings in relief, striking out 12 in the process to lift the GSM Brewers to a 10-5 win over the North Starz in the 2015 Saipan Baseball League on Wednesday night at the Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.

GSM Brewers pitcher Vince Cepeda, left, warms up while first baseman Byron Kaipat looks on in their game against the North Starz in the 2015 Saipan Baseball League on Wednesday night at the Francisco M. “Tan Ko’ Palacios Baseball Field. Kaipat would later replace Cepeda to preserve the win for the defending champions.
(Jon Perez)

Cepeda, the current strikeout leader with a total of 31, replaced starter Lenny Sablan in the top of the fifth and held the Starz to two hits, while walking two batters and stranding three base runners.

Cepeda’s 12 strikeouts is the second most in a game this season where the helped the defending champions to a fourth straight win. The North Starz dropped to 1-4, its lone win 10-4 decision against the Jets on Jan. 26.

Falcons ace Peter Lieto holds the current season-high record when he fanned 18 batters in their team’s 10-4 victory over the still winless Jets on Jan. 16.

Tyrone Omar, Jun Rabauliman, and Nokki Saralu supported Cepeda’s pitching with their bats to lead the Brewers’ .323 average in the game.

Omar went 3-for-4 with one run scored and an RBI single in the third where he drove in catcher Pat Alepuyo, who had a triple.

Rabauliman, 2-for-4, scored twice with a double and a triple while Saralu, despite striking out in the fourth, had two runs and an RBI single in bottom of the first in his 2-for-4 batting.

Sablan pitched four innings in the start, giving up four runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out three batters and walking two more. Byron Kaipat closed out for the Brewers allowing the Starz’s Chad Atalig to cross home plate on an error by Alepuyo.

Kaipat struck out Robert Camacho then Tim Cruz got on base on an error by shortstop Jesse Brel. He then forced Jonathan Tenorio to an infield fly and walked Wally Emul to put runners at first and second.

Kaipat then caught Jesse Sablan swinging on his seventh pitch to end the game stranding Emul and Cruz on base.

Tenorio, who entered in the bottom of the fifth, and Anthony Castro shared pitching duties for the Starz combining for three earned runs on 11 hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Action continues today with the Jets hoping to nail its first win this season when they face the Fielders at 7pm also at the Tan Ko ball field.

On Monday, Feb. 16, the Yankees take on the Jets in a make-up game of their rained out match last Jan. 21. The Brewers will also play a make-up contest against the Falcons on Wednesday, Feb. 18.