Falcons vs Braves in finals

The Talaabwogh Falcons are returning to the finals and will be defending the championship against the Tanapag Braves.

The Falcons and the Braves arranged their winner-take-all finale this Saturday after prevailing in their respective semis matches in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. The Falcons booked the first finals ticket after downing Comets I, 6-2, while the Braves slipped past upset-minded McDonald’s, 9-7, to clinch the second and last finals berth.

Starting pitcher Arby Yaguel shut out Comets I in the first five innings before giving up two runs late in the sixth inning to lead the Falcons to another finals stint. The Falcons starting pitcher also struck out eight batters in 5.4 innings before taking a breather in favor of Max Pangelinan.

The Braves celebrate after winning over McDonald’s, 9-7, in the semifinals of the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Yaguel had a rough start, allowing back-to-back singles at the top of the first inning, but got the last two outs (strike out and 1-3 putout play) to leave two Comets I runners stranded. Five more Comets I runners were stuck on base with Yaguel still on the mound in the next four innings, allowing the Falcons to build a 3-0 lead.

The defending champions got into the board off Pangelinan’s RBI single in the third and added two more runs in the fourth with Angel Iguel scoring off a Comets I fielding error and Justin Cangco reaching home off an RBI walk. The Falcons then made it a 6-0 advantage at the bottom of the fifth with Cangco’s single driving Iguel home and the former also scoring off another Comets I miscue, while Yaguel reached off a passed ball.

Yaguel remained on the mound for the Falcons at the top of the last inning and moved two outs away from eliminating Comets I when leadoff batter Clarence Cabrera returned to the bench off a 6-3 putout play. However, Comets I bought some time, thanks to Nifton Rasiang and Glen Taro’s back-to-back doubles. Taro’s double drove Rasiang home, while the former also reached off Francisco Frederick’s double. Frederick’s double came after Comets I was called for the second out with Iguel catching a fly near home plate and throwing to Cangco at first base to beat runner Ross Arriola.

Now ahead by only four, 6-2, and with two outs, the Falcons pulled out Yaguel and inserted Pangelinan to their defensive lineup. Pangelinan pitched to Henrick Delos Reyes, who made contact with the ball, but Yaguel, who moved to third base, picked up the grounder and threw to Cangco for the third out.

In the other semis game, the Braves won the exchange in the first three innings and withstood McDonald’s rally to advance to the finals and avoid the latter’s upset bid. McDonald’s came from a 5-4 stunner against IT&E before falling short versus the Braves.

The Braves kicked off their finals bid with a four-run bottom of the first starting pitcher Joe Tudela and Hosehio Alvarez hitting RBI singles and the team getting two more runs off a passed ball. McDonald’s failed to score at the top of the first before nailing three in the second off L.J. Reyes and Sunjoon Tenorio’s RBI singles and Kiku Hapdei’s run from the Braves error. It was the Braves’ turn to go run-less at the bottom of the second, but they recovered in the third with five runs for a 9-3 advantage. Tudela, Vicente Camacho, and Blade Igitol had RBI doubles each at the bottom of the third, while Alvarez earned an RBI single, and the fifth run came off a bunt from Isaiah Teigita.

The five runs in the third inning gave the Braves enough cushion in the last three innings despite failing to make it to the board in that stretch, while McDonald’s tried to mount a comeback. A.J. Sanchez blasted a two-run single in the fourth, Donovan Deleon Guerrero had an RBI single in the fifth, and the former also scored in the sixth off a sacrifice out to move McDonald’s within two with two outs. The Braves went on to get the third out with Hapdei coming up with two straight empty swings against Camacho for the third out.

Meanwhile, in McDonald’s win over IT&E in the quarterfinals, it was the latter’s Devin Ayuyu, not Denzel Pangilinan, who committed the error in the sixth inning.