McDonald’s secures playoff berth

JP World’s Juan Camacho, center, is blocked, but still draws body contact from the Rollers’ Prince Factor during the third quarter of their game in the QQ caging last Saturday at the Garapan Basketball Court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

McDonald’s grabbed a seat in the playoff round of the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball, following a 6-2 win over Comets I last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

With the win, McDonald’s now has an 8-5 record, pending the decision on the game (versus Braves) it placed under protest. The Braves nipped McDonald’s, 6-5, in last month’s match, but the latter challenged the result, citing an umpire’s wrong fair ball call in the fourth inning. League officials were scheduled to decide on the protest last night. If the Braves (10-3) keep the victory, they will remain at the No. 3 spot in the eight-team playoff and face the Little Legals this weekend, while McDonald’s will finish at No. 7 and challenge the second-ranked IT&E. A rematch and McDonald’s win would force a three-way logjam (Braves, Comets, and Enforcers) for third place and move McDonald to a tie for sixth with the Little Legals (8-6). The Falcons (13-1) and Laolao Bay (7-7) are the two other teams competing in the playoffs.

McDonald’s completed the playoff cast and handed Comets I a loss at the end of the regular season after recovering from a sluggish start. McDonald’s failed to score in the first two innings and trailed, 0-1, before pitcher Jared Reyes and third baseman Johnny Santos hit their target at the top of the third to break the team’s silence. Reyes nailed an RBI double to put McDonald’s in the board, while Santos’ two-RBI single gave the squad the lead, 3-1. Comets I answered with only one run at the bottom of the third off Vincent Nakamura’s stolen base to still fall behind and it never relinquished the lead after making only two hits and having five stranded runners in the last three innings.

Comets I were called for two quick outs on 6-3 putout plays at the bottom of the fourth, while the third batter was stranded at first after Reyes struck out Jesse Taitano. Earlier at the top of the fourth, McDonald’s bagged two more runs off Austin Sanchez’s run from a passed ball and a sacrifice out from Reyes and the team nailed one more at the top of the fifth off a Comets I error at right field.

At the bottom of the fifth, Comets I had a chance to score with Henrick Delos Reyes at third base with two outs, but Sneak Sumol flied out. Comets I also had opportunities to reach home plate at the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on second and third with two outs, but Taitano was called for the third out on a 4-3 putout play.

In the first game last Saturday, the JPO Enforcers wrapped up their regular season game on a positive note after routing Laolao Bay, 17-3.

An 11-run top of the third inning allowed the Enforcers to take the early win via 10-run mercy rule. Ahead by only one, 3-2, after failing to score in the first inning and tallying three runs in the second, eight of the Enforcers’ top of the order reached home plate for the big turnaround. Shortstop Dennis Cabrera and pitcher Troy Laniyo led the Enforcers in the pivotal third inning as they each hit two-RBI triple and earned two runs apiece.

Laolao Bay countered with only one run at the bottom of the third and was also without a run in the fourth after Laniyo got the two needed strikeouts for the Enforcers’ win two innings early.