Norita homers, Falcons snap skid

Ned Norita found his old slugging form, hitting the season’s first outside-the-park homerun to help the Falcons to an 8-5 win over the GSM Brewers in the 2015 Saipan Baseball League last Wednesday night at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

Norita, leading off in the top of the fourth, blasted a high fly ball that sailed past the left field fence and landed near the back of Sun Palace Hotel.

It was the fourth home run of the season as Norita’s teammate A.J. Lizama, the Fielders’ Jimmy Brel, and the Saipan Stevedore Yankees’ Ben Jones Jr. also hit homers each.

The Falcons first baseman is one of the CNMI’s top hitters and is best remembered for hitting a homer that went past the huge wall in the 1997 Big League World Series in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Lizama had a no-relief job on the mound surrendering five runs, two earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and four walks for the Falcons, who snapped a two-game skid and in the process dealt the defending champions their second straight loss after dropping a 10-9 decision against the Fielders last week.

The Falcons also avenged their 10-4 defeat against the same team in the first round.

Falcons catcher Henry Iguel went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Peter Lieto had a 2-for-4 plate appearance with one run to boot.

Goru Iskawa, who moved to second to third base in the bottom of the seventh, drove in two runs—Lizama and Lamarc Iguel—with a third-inning single but struck out three times.

Lizama and Lamarc Iguel scored a run each again in the top of the ninth on fielding errors by the Brewers.

The loss wasted Nokki Saralu’s 3-for-5 performance at the plate, all singles, including a two-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth where the Brewers tried to make a comeback.

Lizama, who forced Diego Camacho to ground out on a 6-3 putout play and Vince Cepeda to an infield fly that was caught by Norita, walked Marvin Kaipat and gave up a single to Tyron Omar.

Saralu then slapped a single to right to bring in Kaipat and Omar keeping the Brewers’ hopes of making a comeback. Byron Kaipat, however, flied out to left field with Haini Blas making the catch to end the game.

Lenny Sablan started for the Brewers and lasted four innings where he allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with one strikeout and two walks. Lancaster Secharmidal pitched 4.2 innings in relief and was tagged with two earned runs on four hits while fanning six and walking three batters.

Last Monday night, batting leader Gary Cruz and Robert Bansil drove in two runs each as the Yankees scored a come-from-behind 8-7 win over the IP&E Fielders for their fifth straight win that put them on top of the standings with a 6-1 record followed by the 5-2 slates of the Brewers and the Falcons.