CNMI misses semis berth in World Series

The CNMI bowed out of contention in the 2015 Senior League Baseball World Series after losing anew to host Maine District 3, 8-11, last Wednesday (Thursday on Saipan) at the Shawn T. Mansfield in Bangor, Maine.

The CNMI’s Virgil Secharmidal waits for the throw at home plate, while an Old Town runner dives safely during their game in the 2015 Senior League Baseball World Series last Wednesday at the Shawn T. Mansfield in Bangor, Maine. (www.worldseries.bangorinfo.com)

The Asia Pacific champion and the host team, which was represented by a squad from Old Town, fought for the semifinals berth in the B bracket, according to 2015 Senior World Series official website (www.worldseries.bangorinfo.com) communications staff Sam Coombs. Old Town capitalized on the absence of some key players on the CNMI side to make it two in a row against the Asia Pacific champion. Old Town edged the CNMI, 10-5, in the first meeting.

The visiting squad played without Roke Tenorio, Franko Nakamura, and Anthony Muna, who were ejected from their heated game against Italy last Wednesday and was barred from playing against Old Town.

“We lost a couple of our best batters for this game,” coach Juan Manibusan was quoted as saying in Coombs’ report. “I don’t want to take any credit away from Maine, they played good. I just wish we could have had those bats.”

Sans some of its best batters, the CNMI lost the exchange with Old Town in the first three innings, 4-8. Manibusan’s wards went without a single run in the next two innings before saving two runs each in the last two, but these were not enough to keep the team’s finals’ hopes alive. Old Town racked up three more runs in the last four innings for good measure.

Ryan Hoogterp and Kaleb Gifford led Old Town with the former going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and the latter hitting 3-for-3 with four RBIs.

The CNMI bowed out of the tournament with a 2-2 record, posting both wins against Italy (Lazio Little League), 10-5, and 8-4.

Meanwhile, West University Little League of West University Place, Texas won this year’s Senior League World Series after dominating East Holmes Little League of Holmes County, Ohio, 8-1, in yesterday’s finale.

West University Little League used a seven-run bottom of the third inning to shatter a deadlock, 1-1, after the first two innings and cruise to victory. The newly crowned champion advanced to the finals after downing Upper Mooreland Little League of Pennsylvania in the semis, 4-1, while East Holmes Little League prevailed against Old Town in the other Final Four pairing, 9-2.