Defending champs win as 2012 season starts

  Man Amigos and Sakudi started their title-retention campaigns on the right foot as the Chamolinian Softball Association’s 2012 Budweiser Slow Pitch Softball League kicked off Friday night at the Capital Hill Ballfield.

The men’s defending champions Man Amigos put on a strong showing with a 9-6 victory over Gagu Eyes, while the current women’s titleholder Sakudi run-ruled a green Rookies squad, 12-1, in five innings.

The other game of the opener, meanwhile, saw Berdax outlast X-clusive, 21-18, in an eight-inning back-and-forth nail-biter that was easily the evening’s most entertaining matchup.

Bob Coldeen served as opening night master of ceremonies with Gus Kaipat singing the U.S. and CNMI anthems.

Marianas Pacific Distributors general manager Guy Pudney appeared as the guest speaker and CSA president Mark Palacios delivered the closing remarks.

Other CSA officers include vice president B.J. Attao, secretary Liz Palacios-Olouachel, treasurer Liz A. Lebria, and advisor Joey Dela Cruz.

The CSA would like to thank the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, the Division of Sports & Recreation, Division of Youth Services, Coldeen, Kaipat, Bernie C. Palacios, Antonio and Marilyn E. Santos, MARPAC, IT&E, Atdit Company, J’s Restaurant, Natibu Sports Association, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Saipan Apparel, and Team G-Ballers.

This year’s 15-team men’s division is comprised of defending champions Man Amigos, X-clusive, Talu Fahn, Manelos, Natibu, Familia, Saipal, The Warriors, Managaha, 6-Pack, G-Ballers, Team Elias, Berdax, Your Balls, and Gagu Eyes.

The five women’s teams include the aforementioned Sakudi, 670 Babes, Check It Out, Enamo Meta, and Rookies.

Man Amigos 9, Gagu Eyes 6

Man Amigos led it, 4-1, after three innings off a pair of two-run homers by Manny Sablan and John Reyes, and then jumped ahead, 9-1, in the next inning off four hits, a sacrifice fly by J.J. Laniyo, and a two-run blast by Julian Camacho. Gagu Eyes tried to mount a comeback in the sixth frame, but the defending champs held strong out in the field.

Sakudi 12, Rookies 1

Home team Sakudi shot in front, 5-0, in the opening frame with six hits; Geri Dela Cruz smashed a two-RBI single, and Thelma Mizer and Janica Lizama also bagged RBIs.

Sakudi then added three more runs in the top of the third frame from an RBI triple by Mizer, who later made it down the line off an error and a sacrifice fly by Dela Cruz.

Rookies managed their lone run to close the third inning off an uncommon error by the defending champs. However, the count sifted to, 11-1, as the latter redeemed the trip up with three more runs to start the fourth.

The caution flag was raised at the start of the fifth inning and Sakudi added one more to the board for good measure before closing shop early.

Sakudi’s Mizer and Kiki Aldan hit triples and batted 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs; Dela Cruz swung 1-for-2 with three RBIs; Eileen Babauta went 3-for-3 with an RBI; and Bert Camacho swung 2-for-2 with a run.

Berdax 21, X-clusive 18

X-clusive’s cleanup man Harry Nakamura hammered a grand slam to get the game started in proper fashion, but Berdax seized control, 6-4, with a cluster of home runs in the opening frame.

Ben Taisacan lifted a three-run homer, John Taitano a solo shot, Kel Kapileo pulled on a two-run home run, and Dung Tenorio signed off with another solo blast.

X-clusive trimmed the deficit to a run, 7-8, after the second inning. Dennis Ngeskebei and Mike Manas hit RBI singles and J.J. Cabrera elevated a sacrifice fly.

The game then became locked at 10-all after four innings as an RBI double from Berdax’s Taitano and a Kapileo sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning was obliged by a two-out rally by X-clusive in the ensuing frame. Its top of the order bashed four hits including a pair of RBI doubles by Reyes and Cabrera with an RBI base rip by Nakamura.

The game was knotted again at 14-all after six and much like its explosive beginning, it was only prudent for this clash to come down to the wire.

Berdax postured with four runs in the bottom of the fifth off five hits, which included a two-RBI double and an RBI base knock, but X-clusive rose from the dead again in the top of the sixth with a two-RBI triple by Reyes and a two-run homer by Cabrera.

Berdax stranded the winning run at third in the bottom of regulation, but survived the eight-inning bout.

X-clusive mustered four runs in the top of the eighth off a two-RBI double by Reyes and a two-RBI single by Vince Cepeda, but Berdax took advantage of some errors early in the bottom of the eighth and caught a second wind that dealt the knockout blow.

Details of Monday’s games will be released tomorrow. The season continues tonight on Capital Hill with a men’s triple feature starting with the 2011 runners-up Natibu taking on 6-Pack at 6:30pm. Then Familia clashes with Managaha at 7:30pm followed by Saipal against The Warriors at 8:30pm.