Jets slip past Enforcers

A Jets pitcher delivers a pitch to an Enforcers batter during their game in the first round of the Senior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last month at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield.( ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The Jets continued to chase the Red Sox and the Braves at the top of the team standings in the Senior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball, following a 4-3 win over the JPO Enforcers last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.The close win gave the Jets a 5-2 record, just half a game behind the second-running Braves (5-1) and the unbeaten Red Sox (6-0). The Enforcers (3-4), Fielders (1-6), and Lions (0-7) complete the field.
The Jets got the four runs in the low-scoring game in the fourth and fifth inning. They failed to make it to the board in the first three innings before an RBI single from Franco Nakamura broke the spell at the bottom of the fourth, as he drove K.J. Deloen Guerrero home. The Jets got one more run in that inning with Nathan Camacho reaching off an Enforcers’ error.

With the two runs, the Jets grabbed the lead, 2-1. The Enforcers had their lone run at the top of the second with Verlance Secharmidal scoring off Oscar Stefano’s single.

The Jets then gained more cushion with another two-run performance in the fifth inning with Jess Brel and Deleon Guerrero making it home off the Enforcers’ booboo. However, the Jets were threatened in the sixth inning, as it was their turn to commit miscues and gave up unearned runs to the Enforcers. The Enforcers were one run away from a tie with two outs, but failed to secure the deadlock, as relief pitcher Nathan Camacho struck out Cedric Camacho. Nathan Camacho went on to seal the win at the top of the seventh, as he stranded a runner with another strikeout against Jonathan Sagun. The Jets got the first two outs courtesy off Brel’s defense, as the shorts stop teamed up with first baseman Nakamura in booting out leadoff batter Jeff Dela Cruz and later caught a line drive from third batter Alden Ngeskebei.

Fielders 16, Lions 7
In the other Senior League game last weekend, the Fielders ended their losing skid after dominating the winless Lions.

The Fielders went for a strong finish to pull off the come-from-behind win, scoring 11 runs in the last two innings. They were down, 5-6, after five complete innings. A seven-run top of the sixth put the Fielders in the lead, 12-6, as the defending champions got two earned runs and five off the Lions’ defensive lapses. The Lions failed to score at the bottom, as they were called for three quick outs.

An RBI single and RBI double from Dane Salazar and Kainoa Wanket, respectively, made it a 14-6 advantage for the Fielders, who closed out the top of the seventh with two more runs (unearned). The Fielders went on to complete their recovery, as they held the Lions to one run at the bottom of the last inning.

BIG LEAGUE
Padres 18, Lions 7
In last Tuesday’s lone match in the Big League, the Padres outclassed the Lions.
The Padres got off to a strong start to set up the 11-run win. T.J. Sablan blasted a two-run single at the top of the first inning and the Padres capitalized on the Lions’ errors on the defensive end, getting four unearned runs. The Padres’ other run in the first inning was courtesy of A.J. Lizama’s stolen base.

The Padres’ offense slowed down in the next two innings, but the two runs apiece in the second and third were enough to give the defending champions a good margin, 11-1. The Lions scored their first run at the bottom of the first off Paul Celis’ sacrifice out.

A four-run bottom of the fourth gave the Lions some life, as they cut the deficit to 6, 5-11, but the Padres won the exchange in the last three innings to take the win.