Lady Blue Jays, Hotshots win women’s league opener

A Lady Sufa batter is out on first base as Lady Blue Jays’ Destiny Pangelinan makes the play during their opening game of the 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League last Sunday at the DanDan Softball Field. (LEIGH GASES)

In the return of the women’s league in the 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League, the Lady Blue Jays and the Hotshots ripped through their foes at the DanDan Softball Field.

In spite of the gloomy overcast clouds that loomed above on that Spring Sunday morning, the first couple of games went on uninterrupted until a heavy pattering of rain later on delayed the rest into the late afternoon.

LEIGH GASES
A Lady Sufa batter swings at a pitch in their opening game against the Lady Blue Jays in the 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League last Sunday at the DanDan Softball Field.

The first women’s games were played between the Lady Blue Jays and Lady Sufa, with the former overpowering the latter in a 19-5 game, while the Hotshots shot through the Lady Legals, 13-9 in a close match.

The Lady Blue Jays—whose team consist mostly of returning players from the 2022 women’s champions Queens of Diamond—debuted this season still wearing tiaras on their heads as they reigned supreme in their offense.

Although it was a slow burn and they were behind on the count in the first couple of innings, 4-3, in favor of Lady Sufa, the Lady Blue Jays’ lumber woke up from their slumber as they pelted the Lady Sufa with hit after hit in the third inning.

From the top of the Lady Blue Jays’ lineup starting with Destiny Pangelinan, a ripple effect of runs erupted into a 9-run third inning.

They soared into the fourth inning with seven more runs including an inside-the-park home run by Bong Babauta. A few mishandled plays on the Lady Sufa’s defense allowed the Lady Blue Jays to capitalize.

At this point, the Lady Blue Jays had the enormous lead and pitcher Bert Camacho brought them home with a shutout of the Lady Sufa’s lineup in the fourth inning to end the game via run-mercy rule.

In the last women’s game of the day, the Hotshots engaged the Lady Legals in a pitching duel as both teams failed to score in multiple innings throughout the game.

Lady Legals pitcher Semerina Simram pitched a no-no in the first inning after striking out the first three batters in the Hotshots’ lineup. However, the Hotshots turned on the ignition in the second inning for an 8-run inning first led by Rosie Saralu. 

The middle and bottom of the Hotshots’ lineup contributed to their team’s efforts with base hit after base hit, but finally Simram got a hold of herself and shut down the last batter. 

The Lady Legals only scored one run in the first inning thanks to Catalina Dela Cruz’s RBI off teammate Pauline Camacho.  

The rest of the innings started and ended quietly with both pitchers—Simram and Janice Celis—meeting in a stalemate as their offense could not get past their pitches.

Then, in the sixth inning, the floodgates burst open for the Lady Legals as Tiah Camacho started the insurgence of runs to catch up with the Hotshots and still stay in the game, as they now lead by one, 9-8. 

However, in the last inning, the Lady Legals were gassed out and couldn’t score anymore, while the Hotshots brought in 5 crucial runs and stole the W right from under their noses, 13-9.

The men’s masters league results will come out in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.