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Natives plaster Jr. Nationals, 10-5
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Posted on Apr 13 2023
Natives’ Keoni Lizama gets ready to bat against Junior Nationals pitcher Juan Leon Guerrero in the Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League 2023 season last Tuesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. (MARK RABAGO)
Natives used a seven-run fourth inning to beat the Junior Nationals, 10-5, in the Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League 2023 season last Tuesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
Down 4-3, Natives took advantage of the Junior Nationals’ shaky pitching in the fourth as Juan Diaz encountered some control problems.
As a result, Natives’ first four batters crossed home plate as they either reached first base by hit by a pitch, base on balls, and sacrifice flies.
Junior Nationals pitcher Juan Leon Guerrero winds up against Natives in the Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League 2023 season last Tuesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. (MARK RABAGO)
With men on base, the Natives’ hitters then guided their runners—Cameron Towai, Perry Celis, B.J. Leon Guerrero, Keoni Lizama, Laron Sebetang, Chris Meyers, and Juan Tenorio—home and were able to go up, 10-4, heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Natives and Junior Nationals would trade scoreless innings until Jylon Sablan crossed home plate in the seventh that proved to be the final score of the game.
The Natives actually raced to a 2-0 lead right from the gate as Leon Guerrero and Lizama were beamed home on back-to-back occasions as Darion Jones flexed his muscles from the batter’s box, before the Junior Nationals retired Sebatang on a 6-3 play.
Junior Nationals laid a big fat zero in the bottom of the first then allowed Benavente to scoot home for a 3-0 deficit at the start of the second.
In the bottom of the inning, the Junior Nationals’ bats came alive and Sablan, Kazu Dela Cruz, and Dizele Diaz put them on the scoreboard and tied the game up at 3-3.
Starting pitcher Juan Leon Guerrero would silence Natives’ batters at the start of the third then consecutive singles in the bottom of the inning by Sablan and Diaz brought Angelo Igitol home to give them the aforementioned 4-3 lead.
That was all she wrote though for the Junior Nationals, as the Natives brought out the big bats the next inning as they fell to 0-2.
The Natives, which improved to 2-0 in the young season, were led by Benavente’s 2-for-4 performance from the plate to go along with two RBIs, one run, and a double. Towai went 1-for-1 with 1 run and a hit-by-pitch.
Junior Suel was perfect from the plate at 3-for-3 with an RBI and a double, while Sablan went 1-for-4 but had two runs.
