CNMI nips Palau in baseball

The CNMI pulled off a thrilling 1-0 victory over its toughest challenger, Palau, last night in the baseball competition in the 9th Micronesian Games in Yap.

Virgil Secharmidal made the dagger off Palau’s couple of errors down the homestretch. The CNMI catcher scored on a bunt, as Palau’s catcher had a wild throw to first base with the ball going to the side of the fence. With the booboo, Secharmidal ran from second to third base and then all the way to home plate, as Palau’s right fielder struggled to pick up the ball.

The win against Palau, which defeated the CNMI in the gold medal game in 2010, was the second in as many games for the Commonwealth. The team routed Kosrae, 13-3, in its first match last Tuesday. Today, the CNMI will try to keep its unbeaten record when it takes on Pohnpei at 3pm. Pohnpei has a 1-1 mark in the tournament, losing to Palau last Monday, 5-9, and winning over Yap last Tuesday night, 16-1.

Athletics team adds 3 bronzes
The Commonwealth’s athletics squad contributed three more medals.

Eleina Santos won a bronze in the 800m run after clocking in at 2:35.53 last night. Guam got the gold and silver, courtesy of Genina Criss (2:27.45) and Madison Packbier (2:31.20).

In the women’s triple jump, Jerlyn Castillo made it to the podium after recording 8.68m. Guam’s Richelle Tigade (9.86m) and the Marshall Islands’ Rosemaline Watley (9.23m) bagged the gold and silver, respectively.

For the CNMI’s third bronze medal last night, it was delivered by the islands’ 4x100m relay team made up of Jamie Pangelinan, Eleina Santos, Zarinae Sapong, and Rachel Abrams. The quartet timed in at 53.08 to beat Chuuk and Palau. Guam (50.49 seconds) and Pohnpei (52.52) got the gold and silver medals.

With athletics getting three bronzes, the CNMI (after Day 3 of the Games) now has a 1-2-4 gold-silver-bronze medal haul. Palau, as of press time, has moved up with its 16-3-7 tally, followed closely by Guam (15-8-7), while Pohnpei stays at third place with its 7-14-7.

Meanwhile, Orrin Pharmin boosted his medal bid after placing first in one event and third in two of the four events in the octathlon last Tuesday night.

He timed in at 12:36 seconds in the 100m run to rank No. 3 behind Palau’s Joab Kanai (11.78) and Pohnpei’s Migthy-Jay Bernardo (12.20). Pharmin was also ranked third in the 400m run (58.13 seconds) and first in the shot put (8.22m). He was fifth in the long jump after recording 4.66m. The remaining four events in octathlon were scheduled last night and results were unavailable as of press time.

Earlier on Day 2 of the athletics competition, Douglas Schmidt finished second in the 400m run (not in the long jump as previously reported) after logging 52.66 seconds in the finals. Chuuk’s Kuidone David (51.79 seconds) won the gold, while Guam’s Joseph Aguon (52.93 seconds) got the silver.

Schmidt joined the men’s long jump and nearly earned a second medal, as he finished fourth after recording 6:04m. Pohnpei’s Devon Aquinas tallied 6:07m for the bronze, while Nauru’s Jonah Harris (6.33m) and Kiribati’s Buraieta Yeeting (6:17m) clinched the gold and silver medals, respectively.

In other results last Tuesday night, Therize Millare finished sixth in the women’s 400m with her 1:06.57, while Cassandra Camacho and Annalei Santos were ranked No. 8 and 9 in the shot put after posting 8.27m and 7.37m.

Female paddlers win bronze
The women’s canoe team added a medal to the CNMI’s total after placing third in the V6 1, 500m race yesterday at the Yap Marina in Colonia.

The bronze medal squad, made up of Kristine Falig, Lorenza Aldan, Mayiah Duenas, Maria Ornes, Victoria Saures, Shelli Neal, Elizabeth Tenorio, and Arielle Buyum, timed in at 9:09.2 in the finals to finish behind Guam (9:05.8) and Palau (8:44.6).

Earlier in the semifinals 2, the CNMI came in at second after posting 9:08.5. Pohnpei was first at 9:07.3, while Yap was ranked third (10:56.3). Palau ruled the semifinals 1 with its 8:06.6, beating Guam (8:33.0) and Kosrae (8:55.0). In the repechange, the Commonwealth paddlers also finished second (9:14.2), edging Kosrae (9:42.8) and Yap (10:25.2). Guam won the repechage (8:59.5).

In the men’s division 1,500m, the CNMI topped the semifinals 1 after checking in at 7:44.8 against the 7:45.5 of Guam and 7:50.3 of Pohnpei. However, the Commonwealth bets faltered in the medal race, which Yap won after recording 7:40.1 in the finals. Palau and Guam completed the Top 3 after posting 7:44.4 and 7:50.2, respectively.

In the 500m race, the CNMI finished second both in the men’s semifinal 2 (2:13.18) and repechage (2:16.2), but missed a medal in the finals won by Yap (2:10.5). Guam (2:14.1) took the silver, while Palau (2:15.1) got the bronze. In the women’s division, Falig and company duplicated the men’s crew’s results after clocking in at 2:38.6 in the semifinals 2 and 2:43.6 in the repechage. Palau (2:34.1), Kosrae (2:40.3), and Guam (2:43.5) were the Top 3 finishers in the finals.