Hustlers playoff-bound after three wins

 A trio of wins by Paradise Island Animal Hospital-Hustlers punched its ticket to the playoffs as the Saipan Little League 2012 regular season rounds to a close at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The surge improved the Hustlers’ win-loss record to 8-1 and positioned them ahead of defending champion Docomo Pacific Ol’Aces (7-2).

The Hustlers routed the St. Michael’s Medical Response Hunters (1-7), 14-4, on Saturday and swept a doubleheader over the IT&E-Fielders (6-4) last Thursday.

They outlasted the Fielders, 4-3, in the first leg and then lit them up under the lights, 12-2, in five innings.

Also on Saturday, the Kagman Lions (2-6) picked up its second win in a row, 8-4, also over a Fielders squad that is still scratching their heads. The Lions, meanwhile, escaped the Hunters, 7-6, for its first taste of victory back on April 10.

In Junior Division play from Sunday, the Natibu Sports Association Tanapag-Falcons (3-3) fended off the IT&E-Fielders (2-4), 5-4, while the DPS-Dare Program-Leep-Enforcers (2-4) routed the Saipan Shipping Company-Jets (3-4) in six innings, 11-1.

BIG DIVISION

Hustlers 14, Hunters 4 

Hustlers awoke in the third inning with four runs built primarily off a pair of RBI triples by MacJarrel Espina and Brian Camacho.

The Hustlers then added a run in the fourth off an error before trudging ahead, 8-0, in the top of the fifth off five hits. Camacho drilled an RBI double and McGary Scaliem an RBI single.

The Hunters finally made some noise in the bottom frame with four runs, but Hustlers reliever Kevin Villagomez held it together on the mound for the last two innings.

Camacho batted 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs and three stolen bases.

Lions 8, Fielders 4 

The Lions leaped in front, 5-0, in the top of the first off a string of four doubles and a base smash.

Ricardo Dela Cruz, Greg Iskawa, Leroy Regis, Richard Dela Cruz, and Danny Cruz all connected with the first pitch they saw and all came around to score.

The Fielders responded with two runs in the bottom frame, but endured a drought until the last inning of the match.

Lions’ Ricardo Dela Cruz hustled out an inside-the-park homer in the second, Danny Cruz came in off an error in the third, and Regis bagged an RBI single in the fourth.

Richard Dela Cruz was issued the win after giving up zero earned runs off seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts through five and a third innings.

Hustlers 4, Fielders 3 (Game 1)

The Hustlers were gifted a 1-0 head start thanks to an error in the first inning, but Fielders’ Peter Lieto hammered an RBI double and scored off an error to put his team briefly in front.

The Hustlers immediately went back on the attack and mustered a couple runs to reclaim control in the bottom fame.

Tim Rabago got plunked and scored off an error and Kevin Villagomez drove in Jeremy Lizama with a base rip.

Fielders’ Carl Camacho led off the fifth with a triple, but was nailed at the plate trying to get his team’s engine started in the top of the fifth.

His teammate Patrick Tenorio fired out an RBI double to pull the Fielders to within a run, but Hustlers closer Villagomez got it done in the last two frames.

The Fielders left four runners stranded at third base, but in addition to Camacho, the Hustlers gunned down Marvin Ngeskebei at the plate two times, including a nice laser from leftfielder Kenta Castro in the sixth inning.

Hustlers 12, Fielders 2 (Game 2)

The Fielders then took a healthy dose of Hustlers ace pitcher Brian Camacho.

Camacho dealt four scoreless innings, while his team built a 6-0 cushion.

Jeremy Lizama bagged an RBI single in the opening frame, the crew hammered four hits for three runs in the second, and then added two more in the third from a triple by Kevin Villagomez and an RBI double from Camacho.

Moreover, MacJarrel Espina bagged an RBI single and Manny Flores an RBI double in the second inning, while Villagomez scored off a passed ball in the third.

The Hustlers then officially blew the lid off the game with a six-run explosion in the fifth off seven hits and kept the mercy-rule lead intact in the bottom frame.

Lions 7, Hunters 6 

The Hunters built an early 4-0 lead in the first two innings more or less from some untimely errors.

However, the Lions finally pulled their heads out and pulled to within a run in the bottom of the second inning.

The pride loaded the bases for Russel Hocog who cleared them with a booming triple before getting nailed at the plate.

The Hunters went 1-2-3 to start the third and the Lions went in front, 5-4, in the bottom frame off a couple of base hits by Greg Iskawa and Leroy Regis.

The Lions added another run off an error in the fourth, but the Hunters locked it up at 6-all with a pair of RBI singles by Palmerson Monkeya and Clayton Aguon.

Lions’ Leo Blas lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom fame to put the Lions back in control and its closer Regis struck out the side in the sixth and held strong in the final stand.

JUNIOR DIVISION

Falcons 5, Fielders 4 

Some early errors by the Falcons allowed three runs to the plate in the first two innings, but a one-out triple by Falcons’ Chris Sablan in the third lifted their spirits in the next frame.

The Falcons elected for an early pitching change with one out in the third and called Joseph Lifoifoi to the mound, which was a good call because the kid did a great job keeping the Fielders in check for the long haul.

They then worked around for four runs off three hits, highlighted by a two-RBI single by Sablan to end the fourth and held on for the win.

Lifoifoi nabbed the win with zero earned runs off two hits and struck out nine through 4 2/3 innings.

Enforcers 11, Jets 1 

The Enforcers racked up eight runs off nine hits right out of the gate; Kaleb Takao and Phillip Sablan bagged RBI singles, Darrion Jones busted an RBI double, and Cedric Camacho finished the opening frame with a two-RBI double.

Pitcher Darrion Jones had little trouble holding off the Jets from the hump, aside from an earned run, off two hits, in the bottom of the first inning.

He went on to allow just one other hit in five scoreless innings that followed before an early finish. He also had four walks and four strikeouts.

Notably, at the plate Jones also bashed an inside-the-park home run in the sixth inning and finished just a base hit short of the cycle. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two other runs.