CNMI splits opening games

A CNMI Junior League All-Stars waits for a pitch during their game against Hong Kong in the 2017 Asia Pacific-Middle East Regional Tournament last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The CNMI Senior and Junior All-Stars had mixed fortunes as they started their campaign in the 2017 Asia Pacific-Middle East Regional Tournament last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The CNMI Senior All-Star Team bowed to Guam, 3-5, in the opening game of the World Series qualifier, while the host’s Junior League All-Stars pulled off a 6-5 triumph over Hong Kong.

It was a come-from-behind victory for the CNMI Junior All-Stars, as they once faced a 1-3 deficit after four complete innings. Hong Kong scored three runs at the bottom of the third inning, while the Commonwealth’s lone run came in the second inning with Joel Norita’s single driving Thomas Agulto home.

A Sean Rabauliman run off a passed ball at the top of the fifth moved the CNMI within 1, but Hong Kong countered with two runs at the bottom to gain some cushion, 5-2. However, that was the last time the visiting team made it home, as the CNMI made the needed stops in the final two innings while scoring four runs to steal the win.

Norita and Agulto made it home for the Commonwealth at the top of the sixth to threaten Hong Kong anew, 4-5. Hong Kong was then called for a 1-2-3 at the bottom of the sixth with the first two batters flying out and the third getting fanned out by Norita.

Two more runs, courtesy of Vicente Camacho and Bing Nakamura, at the top of the last inning put the CNMI on top and the host kept the shaky lead and the victory when they stranded two Hong Kong runners at the bottom. Hong Kong’s Katto Tokea and Deving Won were on first and third base with two outs and were stuck there when leftfielder Kyle Kapileo caught a fly from John Lo.

In the Senior League division, Jonathan Aguon scored off a Jae Young II RBI single and Jake Caubudo stole home at the bottom of the seventh and last inning to lift Guam to a close victory against the CNMI.

The home team, which tied the match after five complete innings, 3-all, had a chance to break the deadlock when it had runners second and third base at the bottom of the sixth. However, Henry Aguon went down on a 6-3 putout play to leave Tyrese Camacho and Tindin Guerrero stranded and give Guam the opportunity to take the lead at the top of the last inning.

Guam then managed to hold on to the lead when it forced the CNMI to a 1-2-3 at the bottom of the seventh with Young capping the game by striking out Leo Salalila.

Meanwhile, in other results in the opening day of the ASPAC, defending World Series champions Chinese-Taipei crushed the Philippines, 19-0.

Chinese-Taipei needed only five innings to finish off the Philippines, as the former broke the game wide open in the third inning after drilling eight runs for a 13-0 advantage. Chinese-Taipei was without a run in the first inning before recording five in the second and five more in the last two.

The World Series champions used two pitchers and allowed only two hits.

Games in the ASPAC continued last Saturday, while yesterday’s matches were suspended due to rain.