CNMI makes playoffs in baseball

 The CNMI marched into the Final Four of the baseball competition in the 2011 Pacific Games after slipping past Fiji in a crucial game, 2-1, yesterday at the Baseball Mont-Dore in New Caledonia.

The Commonwealth sluggers finished the round-robin contest with a 3-2 record, winning its last two games in the elimination round. The CNMI tied New Caledonia, but the host took the No. 3 seeding in the playoffs, as it won over the former in their first meeting last week, 3-2.

The CNMI will duel New Caledonia anew tomorrow at 9am (8am Saipan time) for the second and last semis ticket. Palau and Guam, which had similar 4-1 cards will battle for the first finals berth today at 1pm (12nn Saipan time). The winner of the CNMI-New Caledonia tiff will then face the loser of the Palau-Guam tussle for the second and last finals seat tomorrow at 1pm. The gold medal game will be played this Thursday.

No other details of the CNMI-Fiji match was provided at the Pacific Games’ website, however the Commonwealth sluggers enjoyed a slight advantage in the make-or-break game, as Fiji played twice yesterday. Fiji challenged New Caledonia in the morning match and lost, 1-9.

With its 1-3 record, Fiji needed to win against the CNMI to catch the last bus to the playoffs. However, the CNMI foiled Fiji’s bid and the latter went on to join American Samoa in the sidelines. American Samoa finished the elimination round winless in five games, while Fiji had a 1-4 record. Fiji was forced to play back-to-back games, as its match over New Caledonia was rained-out last Saturday.

Teams rested last Sunday to give way to the Pacific Games general assembly and athletes returned to action yesterday.

Going into the final week of the 15-day competition, New Caledonia continued to pull away in the medal standings with its 67-55-26 gold-silver-bronze medal tally. Tahiti is staying strong at second with its 30-18-16 haul, while Fiji hangs on to third with its 15 gold medals, 18 and 15 silver and bronze, respectively.

Papua New Guinea is closing in at fourth with its 14-12-16 tally, while Tonga, Samoa, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia are the only four other countries to win gold medals with only five days left in the Games.

Mister, Nelson win debut

The CNMI duo of Chris Nelson and Tyce Mister had a winning debut in the beach volleyball competition after surviving Palau in three sets yesterday at the Terrain de beach-volley Koutio in Dumbea.

Nelson and Mister took the opening set against Palau’s Christopher Carlos and Kingsley Ngirmidol, 21-16, but failed to wrap up the game early after losing the second set, 18-21. Then in the deciding third set, Mister and Nelson regrouped to pull off a 15-11 triumph.

Next up for the CNMI pair is American Samoa with Mister and Nelson squaring off against Sigalu Selefuti Aitui and Sam Samasoni Luiava, who dropped their opening matches to siblings Dino and Vatea Tauraa of Tahiti, 18-21, 21-18, 12-15.

Besides Tahiti and the CNMI, also winning at the start of the beach volleyball competition were New Caledonia against Vanuatu; Fiji versus Guam; PNG over the Cook Islands; Tonga against the Solomon Islands.

Abrams places fourth in 100m

CNMI sprinter Rachel Abrams also debuted in the Games yesterday, racing in the 100m at the Stade Numa Daly in Noumea and finishing fourth among seven runners in her heat.

Abrams clocked in at 13.40 seconds on Heat 1 to beat Vanuatu’s Susan Tama (13.51 seconds), Palau’s Ruby Gabriel (13.94 seconds), and Nauru’s Vashti Agege (14.40 seconds). Fiji’s Paulini Korowaoa ruled the heat with her 12.63 seconds, followed by Nauru’s Lovelite Detenamo (12.68 seconds), and Vanuatu’s Daphne Nalawas (13.08 seconds).

Northern Marianas Athletics head coach Elias Rangamar, who stayed on Saipan and let coach Ron Olopai guide the three NMA bets in New Caledonia, said usually the Top 2 or 3 finishers in each heat advanced to the next round, depending on the number of runners.

Rangamar added he was impressed with Rangamar’s debut race considering she has been having shin problems for the past few months.

Runner Douglas Dillay also raced yesterday and placed seventh among nine runners with his time of 2:15.59. New Caledonia’s Adrien Kela topped Heat 1 at 2:05.70.

The third member of the lean CNMI Athletics Team-Trevor Ogumoro-will have his first event tomorrow when he competes in the long jump. Abrams and Dillay have two more events left-the long jump and 200m run for the former and 400m run and 400m hurdles for the latter.