Iguel no-hitter lifts Braves; Comets win

Reed Teregeyo pitches for the Comets during their game against the NSA Braves in the Juniors division of the 2018 Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday at the Francisco M. Palacios Ballfield. Teregeyo was impressive in the Comets’ twin wins over the weekend. (Jon Perez)

Leveque Iguel pitched the first no-hitter of the season as the NSA Braves completed an 11-0 win over the Comets in the Seniors division of the Saipan Little League Baseball yesterday at the at the Francisco “Tan Ko” M. Palacios Ballfield.

The 2018 SLL season opened on Saturday with games in the Minors, Majors, Juniors, and Seniors divisions. The Minor and Major leagues were played at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

Iguel pitched 1-2-3 in all five innings of the shortened game, striking out 10 with no walks. He got some defensive help from his teammates with their fielders busy catching fly balls and collecting grounders. Iguel also went 3-for-4 at bat, with two runs and an RBI triple in the Braves’ four-run scoring in the second inning. J.P. Celis backed him up, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI double also in the second. Tyrese Camacho was 2-for-4, too, with a pair of runs and RBI singles.

JUNIOR LEAGUE
Comets 8, Falcons 3
Comets 14, Braves 2
Bing Nakamura and Reed Teregeyo turned in solid performances over the weekend to help the Comets to a 2-0 start in the Juniors division.

Both starred in the Comets win over the defending champion Falcons last Saturday, and their lopsided victory against the NSA Braves yesterday.

Nakamura, against the Falcons, started for the Comets and he pitched four shutout innings with one hit, three strikeouts, and one walk. Teregeyo pitched in relief, giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Nakamura also went 3-for-4 in their win over the Falcons and was a home run short of hitting the cycle, while scoring two runs with three RBIs.

The starting pitcher struck out in the first, in a 1-2-3 inning for Falcons pitcher Keoni Serrano, but settled in after that with an RBI double in the third and an RBI single in fifth before closing out with an RBI triple in the seventh.

Nakamura continued his impressive batting yesterday, going 2-for-4 in the Comets’ dismantling of the Braves. He had a two-RBI double in a seven-run fourth inning by the Greg Camacho-managed squad.

Teregeyo, who had an RBI single in the Comets’ huge fourth inning, was almost unhittable before giving up a pair of singles to Lufo Babauta in the first and to Antonio Norita in the third. He also had seven strikeouts and two walks. The Braves’ two runs—scored by Norita and Babauta in the first—were both unearned.

The Braves needed to score two runs at the top of the fifth to continue the game and seemed headed for that when they got two runners on base on back-to-back errors by the Comets. Isidro Cabrera reached first base on Nakamura error, but was caught out at second base on a quick throw by catcher Nate Aizon to Ross Arriola for the first out. Another error by Sebeno Yoromad, with one out, brought Grafton Howard safely at first. However, Teregeyo settled in after that and ended the game when he retired Norita and Babauta.