Comets keep clean slate

A Comets batter waits for a pitch from the Braves during their second meeting in the Majors division of the SLLB last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Comets are still undefeated in the Majors division of the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball following a 10-0 victory over the Braves last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

The win was the Comets’ eight in as many games and second against the Braves as the former demolished the latter, 20-1, during the league’s opening game last Feb. 27.

Bing Nakamura led the Comets’ second triumph against the Braves as the shortstop went 3-for-3 at bat, scored three runs, and had three RBIs. He made two singles and a double.

The Comets took the easy win after only four innings. Sab Saures pitched for the Comets in those four innings, striking out seven and giving up only one hit. With Saures on the mound, the Braves went to as far as third base only once with Tristan Norita stranded at third at the bottom of the first as the former got his second strikeout quickly, fanning out A.J. Johnson.

Saures got two more strikeouts in the second inning and left two runners stranded and the Braves bowed out early and fell to a 4-6 record as they went 1-2-3 in the last two.

The Comets, on the other hand, closed out strong with five runs at the bottom fourth to earn the early victory via 10-run mercy rule. The Comets five other runs were made in the third (3) and second (2).

In other results last Saturday, the Little Legals also eased past McDonald’s, 14-2, while the Twins defeated the Docomo Ol’Aces, 8-3.

The Little Legals went for the kill at the top of the fourth inning, collecting seven runs to wrap up the match after only four innings. They got two runs in the first and second and added three in the third.

Justin Agulto handed the Little Legals three runs as he went 3-for-4 at bat and made one RBI. Kaipo Dikito had only one run, but contributed three RBIs off is 3-for-4 performance at the plate.

The Little Legals improved to an 8-1 record and continued to shadow the division leaders Comets as the former are still in second place in the team standings of the nine-squad field.

The Twins moved up from sixth to fourth after last Saturday’s triple-header, as they now have a 4-5 record after downing the Ol’Aces (5-3).

Marty Taisacan gave the Twins three runs and went 3-for-3 at bat, making two singles, one double, and one RBI. Eliray Castro hit 3-for-4 and got two RBIs, two singles, and a double.

Kapileo leads batting, pitching races
Meanwhile, the Falcons’ Kyle Kapileo is on top of both the batting and pitching races in the Majors division (as of April 10).

Kapileo went 18-for-29 at bat in the Falcons’ nine games for a batting average of .620. He is ahead of IT&E’s Patrick Celis, who is the only other batter to average at least .600 after going 12-for-20. The Comets’ Reid Teregeyo (.583) and Vincent Nakamura (.565) and Little Legals’ Delbert Sablan (.571) rounded out the Top 5. Fifteen others made it to the batting chart, which was based on 19 times or more at bat.

In the pitching race, Kapileo got 0.54 ERA after pitching 22 innings and allowing only two runs. He leads Delbert Sablan (0-85 ERA), Keoni Serrano (1.00), Joven Reyes (2.45), and Johnson (2.47)

Kapileo has the second most strikeouts (49) just one behind pacesetter Ken Kaipat.