Fielders split games in SBL; Brewers share lead

A Brewers batter waits for a pitch from the Tigers during their game in the 2014 Saipan Baseball League late last month at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

Last season’s finalists Fielders split their two most recent games in the 2014 Saipan Baseball League.
The Fielders defeated the Tigers, 9-7, last Monday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield, bouncing back from a 1-7 loss to the GSM Brewers last Wednesday.

Brian McAllister and Arthur Jebehn hit RBI singles to help the Fielders down the Tigers (3-5) and improve their record to 4-5. McAllister’s base hit drove Cadez Tenorio home and broke the deadlock at the bottom of the eighth inning, while Jebehn’s single brought the former home. Tenorio was the second Fielders batter at the bottom of the eighth and had a triple.

At the top of the ninth, relief pitcher Jared Sablan got two quick strikeouts to move the Fielders closer to victory, however Tom Guerrero then kept the Tigers’ hopes alive with a single.

Guerrero eventually advanced to second after Sablan walked Mark Toves, but the Fielders runners were stranded and the Fielders secured the win, as leftfielder Joe Palacios caught a fly ball from Ian Rogolifoi.

It was a come-from-behind win for the Fielders, as the Tigers managed to take a 6-2 lead after three innings. The Fielders got into the board first with their two runs in first inning, but the Tigers bounced back with four runs in the second and two more in the third. The Tigers added another run in the fifth to stay on top, but failed to score in the last four innings to miss their bid for the fourth win.

Meanwhile, Tom Camacho and Vince Cepeda combined for only four hits to lift the GSM Brewers to the easy win over the Fielders last week.

The Brewers now have a 6-1 record for a tie for first place with the Yankees, who got a win via forfeit over the D-9ers (0-7) last Friday.

Camacho pitched four innings and gave up three hits. Cepeda took over the mound in the last five innings and did a better job, allowing only one hit and striking out eight. With Camacho and Cepeda in tough form, the Fielders failed to get an earned run. The Fielders’ lone run was scored off a Brewers’ error in the third inning.

The Brewers also got one run of the Fielders’ miscue in the third inning to take the lead, 2-1, and kept going in the last six, bagging four earned runs and one off another Fielders’ booboo.