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Flashback: Padres deliver in late night finale
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Posted on May 22 2020
In this file photo, Padres players and coaches flash the No. 1 sign after beating the Fielders, 7-1, in the finals of the Big League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. The Padres also won the 2013 title after downing the NSA Braves, 2-1. (Saipan Tribune)
The Padres, on this day, seven years ago, waited for nearly four hours to play in the Big League finals of the Saipan Little League Baseball only to beat the NBA Braves, 2-1, after just one hour of game at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The Padres-Braves title match was originally set for 6:30pm, but was long-delayed, as the Fielders and the Braves had an extended championship game in the Senior League.
The Big League finals finally started past 10pm and fortunately for the Padres, pitcher Brian Camacho was still in top form to power their team to victory. Camacho delivered on both ends of the field, fanning out 10 batters in a no-relief job and recording the go-ahead hit at the top of the sixth inning to hand the Padres the division title.
Camacho put the Padres on the board as he reached off Jordan Pangelinan’s double at the deep right field at the top of the first inning. The Padres kept the precarious advantage in three and a half innings.
The Braves then knotted the count at the bottom of the fourth with Peter Lieto scoring off a fielder’s choice.
The match remained in a deadlock after five complete innings.
Then at the top of the sixth, with one out and a runner on second, Camacho hit a single to center field and drove A.J. Lizama home for the go-ahead run.
Camacho went on to finish off the Braves, as he struck one three more batters in the last two innings and had a big defensive stop in the sixth. A Braves runner was on third with two outs when Camacho picked up a bunt and threw to first for the third out.
After the title win in 2013, the Padres managed to keep the Big League crown the following season as they defeated the Fielders in the 2014 finals, 7-1.
