Comets, Red Sox top foes

The Red Sox’s Henry Fleming eyes his target before delivering a pitch during their Junior League game against the Braves in the SLLB yesterday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Comets and Red Sox prevailed in their respective matches in the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

In the Senior League pairing, the Comets needed an extra inning to nose out the Red Sox, 7-6, while the latter’s Junior League crew outclassed the Braves, 8-3, in the opener of the triple-header. The Yankees and the Islanders were playing in the final game late yesterday afternoon and results were unavailable at press time.

Jimmy Demapan scored the winning run for the Comets as he reached home off a fielder’s choice at the bottom of the eighth inning. He led off for the Comets in the extra inning and singled before stealing second and moving to third off a hit from Aurel Mendiola. Demapan went on to make the go-ahead run with the Comets called only for the first out.

It was a come-from-behind win for the Comets, who tacked on three runs in the last two regular innings, including Elijah Villar’s run off a wild pitch that tied the game at the bottom of the seventh. The Comets’ other run in the seventh came from Kody Omengkar off the Red Sox’s error at third base, while the run in the sixth was courtesy of N-Nes Siech, who reached off another wild pitch Delin Reusora.

The Comets played catch up after a slow start as they scored only three runs in the first five innings, while the Red Sox’s doubled up their foes’ output for a 6-3 cushion. The Red Sox got three runs in the first and one each from the second to fourth inning before going cold in the last four.

Ethan Babauta closed out for the Comets, allowing only two hits with no walks, while striking out six in three innings pitched.

Earlier in the Junior League match, the Red Sox held the Braves scoreless in the last six innings to pull off the close win.

Before being neutralized by the Red Sox’s defense, the Braves managed to bag three runs—two earned—in the first inning. The Red Sox then countered with four runs at the bottom of the first to grab the lead and they kept the driver’s seat after adding one run each in the third and sixth and three in the fifth, while the Braves failed to answer back.

Trevon Lieto paced the Red Sox, as he scored three runs and had three RBIs off a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.