Enforcers clinch Junior League pennant

The Enforcers? Virgil Secharmidal delivers a pitch to the Comets during an earlier game in the Junior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball late last month at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The JPO Enforcers bagged the pennant in the Junior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball after beating the Jets, 10-0, last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The weekend match was the Enforcers’ last in the regular season and they finished the double-round robin tournament with a field-best 11-1 record to clinch the pennant. The Jets fell to a 4-8 record, while standings of the four other teams (Comets, Falcons, Fielders, and Red Sox) have yet to be finalized as a couple of make-up games are still scheduled this week.

Virgil Secharmidal pitched in no relief for the Enforcers and allowed only four hits. He walked only three, had one hit by pitch, and 11 strikeouts. The ace pitcher was also perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 and and scoring four runs and one double.

Complimenting Secharmidal’s strong game from the mound was his partner, catcher Kier Agda, who was 3-for-4 at bat and recorded three RBIs and two runs.

Secharmidal got three early strikeouts at the top of the first with his back-to-back Ks preventing leadoff batter D.J. Yumul from moving from third to home plate and stranding Brandon Pua at second. Secharmidal also gave JPO its first run at the bottom of the first off an Ethan Babauta RBI walk, while the Enforcers nailed three more runs in that frame off two passed balls and another RBI walk.

It was still an all Enforcers show in the last five innings, as they drilled six more runs to secure the early win via 10-run mercy rule. The Jets failed to gain even a single run against the steady pitching of Secharmidal, who earned at least one strikeout in each of the last five innings. The Enforcers’ most impressive performance came in the second inning when he stranded three Jets runners after getting his second strikeout and catching a fly ball to end the inning.

Fielders 6, Red Sox 5
In the second Junior League game, the Fielders rallied past the Red Sox.

Down at 3-5 after four and a half innings, the Fielders scored three runs at the bottom fifth to steal the lead and shut down the Red Sox in the last two innings to take the victory.

Kimo Angailen, Jaden Tenorio, and Donavin Ada hit RBI singles each at the bottom of the fifth inning to help the Fielders grab the upper hand from the Red Sox. The Red Sox earlier notched four runs at the top of the third and added one in the fifth to go ahead against the Fielders, who had one run in the second and two in the fourth.

After relinquishing the driver’s seat, the Red Sox had a chance to force a deadlock, with runners on first and second and only one out, but the Fielders made a double play at first and third base to frustrate their foes. The Red Sox earned another opportunity to either tie the match or reclaim the lead at the top of the seventh with runners on second and third, but Ada recorded three straight strikeouts to lift he Fielders to the close win.

Falcons 7, Comets 4
In the curtain-raiser, the Falcons outclassed the Comets.

Behind at 3-4 after five and a half innings, the Falcons assumed control at the bottom sixth after collecting four runs. Pitcher Kekuni Kainoa blasted a two-run single, while the two other runs came off the Falcons’ miscues to gain enough cushion against the Comets, going into the last inning. The last frame saw the Falcons recording back-to-back put-out plays and stranding two runners to end the match. The Falcons also earned the first out via a put-out play.