Comets nip Enforcers in 19-inning game

A Comets pitcher hurls from the mound during their first round game against Falcons in the Junior League at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. The Comets met the Falcons anew last Sunday and lost, 1-3, a day after pulling off a 19-inning 7-6 win over the JPO Enforcers. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

Thanks to Kobe Santos’ base hit, the extended match finally ended. Santos’ single at the bottom of the 19th inning drove Lorenzo Sebaklim home. Sebaklim led off for the Comets and advanced to first off an Enforcers’ error at centerfield. He then made it to third after second batter Austin Hocog singled, but was stuck there in the ensuing play, as Aurel Mendiola flied out at second. Santos was next at bat and made the game-winning hit.
The Comets-Enforcers tiff was first played on March 1 and ended in a deadlock after 13 innings. The match resumed last Saturday after the three Senior League games were completed and it still took about two hours for the game to be completed.

The Enforcers had a chance to nail the go-ahead run at the top of the 16th inning with Ethan Babauta reaching third base with two outs, but Comets pitcher Aurel Mendiola and first baseman Austin Indalecio teamed up for the last out.

The Comets also had an opportunity to end the game earlier when they loaded the bases at the bottom of the 17th with two outs, but Rejay Iskawa flied out to left field.

The 19-inning game could be the longest in CNMI Little League history, according to SLLB, Inc. president Tony Rogolifoi. Saipan Tribune contacted former CNMI District Administrator James Ada to confirm the record, but have yet to get a response at press time last night.

Enforcers 7, Jets 2
The Enforcers (9-1) returned to the field last Sunday and regrouped quickly after beating the Jets.
The Enforcers finished strong, scoring five runs in the last two innings to bring down the Jets (3-6). The game was tied, 2-all, after five complete innings before Jordan Kosam put the Enforcers in the lead with his RBI single. Kosam also reached home off a Jets error, while Shakobe Rangamar gave the team a 5-2 lead. Two more unearned runs at the top of the seventh game the Enforcers more breathing room and they kept the lead after a 1-2-3 at the bottom.

Falcons 3, Comets 1
The Comets failed to keep their momentum after the marathon win over the Enforcers, bowing to the Falcons in a low-scoring game.

The Falcons scored in the last two innings to edge the Comets. Kody Omengkar, who logged the Falcons first run at the top of the first off Don Fejeran’s single, also recorded the team’s second run off a passed ball in the sixth inning to break the deadlock.

The Comets forced a standoff at the bottom of the first with Hocog blasting an RBI single and the match remained tied after five innings. The drought continued for the Comets in the last two innings, as they had two runners stranded in the sixth and one in the seventh. Earlier at the top of the seventh, Ace Evangelista scored off a Comets I error.

Red Sox 8, Fielders 7
In the third Junior League game last Sunday, the Red Sox nosed out the Fielders.
The Red Sox racked up three runs at the top of the last inning to break a tie and held strong on defense at the bottom to eke out the close win.

Leadoff batter Raymond Agulto put the Red Sox on top, 6-5, scoring off a wild pitch at the top of the seventh. Tindin Leon Guerrero made it a 7-5 advantage when he reached off a sacrifice out, while an RBI single from Chebo Leon Guerrero gave the defending champions more cushion, going into the last inning.

The Red Sox got two early outs at the bottom of the seventh, but failed to close out the match early, as Kimo Angailen kept the Fielders’ hopes alive with his run off a passed ball. An RBI single from Jaden Tenorio moved the Fielders closer. Tenorio went on to advance to second, while another runner was at third, but both were stranded as Red Sox second baseman Jonah Reyes picked up a line drive for the last out.