Ol’Aces nip Falcons in Junior League, 9-8

 The Hawaiya Technologies, Inc. Ol’Aces survived the Natibu Sports Association Talaabwogh Falcons, 9-8, during their game in the Juniors division of the Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Falcons pitcher Alfonso Angelista cut through the Ol’Aces’ line up the first time around for a trio of 1-2-3 innings, as his teammates built a 6-0 margin.

Falcons’ Barry Sunumai and Frankie Lifoifoi scored off errors in the first and second frames and the flock worked around four more runs in the third, primarily from a triple by Christopher Sablan with the bases loaded.

The Falcons then added two runs in the top of the fourth inning off a triple by Juan Quitugua and an RBI base rip by Derek Naog.

The Ol’Aces then answered with two runs in the bottom frame with an error and a sacrifice fly by Terson Eina. Notably, relief pitcher, Jessie Brel, stepped to the rubber with two runners on and zero outs in the fourth inning and still pulled the plug on the Falcons offense through the late innings.

The Ol’Aces went on to mount a six-run comeback off five hits in the bottom of the fifth to tie the count at 8-all. Giovanni Taitingfong bagged a two-RBI double, Brel hit an RBI single, and Mike Muna hammered a two-RBI triple and stole home.

After a scoreless sixth, Brel kept it at a standstill in the top half of the last frame and led off the bottom part with a single. Muna stepped in next and cracked the go-ahead double for the win.

Brel gave up just one hit to the first batter he faced, which brought home an inherited runner at third base. He finished with five strikeouts through four innings. Muna batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs, and a stolen base.

In other results in the Junior League, the Bank of Saipan Red Sox pounced the DYS-Rep. Ramon S. Basa-Frederick P. DL Guerrero-Kagman Lions, 27-1, last Sunday. In the Senior League games last Saturday, IT&E Fielders triumphed over Juan Santiago-Jets II, 6-5; the Docomo Pacific Ol’Aces defeated Saipan Shipping Company’s Jets I, 14-8; and the Natibu Talaabwogh Falcons pounced the D-9ers, 13-1.

JUNIOR DIVISION

Red Sox 27, Lions 1

The Red Sox started slow, but went through three pitchers as they ran circles around the Lions last Sunday.

They trickled out an early 3-0 lead in the first three innings off a stolen dish by Melvin Sakisat, an error in the opening frame, and a sacrifice fly by Sakisat later in the third inning.

Then at the start of the fourth inning, the Red Sox erupted with 12 runs off 10 hits.

Nathan Camacho led off with a triple and scored off a passed ball, Jhace Palacios drilled a two-RBI base hit, and Rokie Tenorio bagged an RBI single. Camacho then belted an RBI triple in his second at bat and scored off a wild pitch, while Joseph Tydingco busted a two-RBI double before Palacios made an RBI single on his second turn.

The Lions managed their lone run in the top of the fifth, but the Red Sox pelted them with another dozen runs in the bottom frame and never looked back.

The Red Sox knocked 22 hits around the field over five innings. Camacho batted 4-for-5 with three RBIs and four runs, while Palacios (4-for-6/3 RBIs), Jeffrey Palacios (2-for 2), Sakisat, Tenorio, and Jerald Cabrera all scored three times.

Cabrera was the winning pitcher, throwing darts from the mound and giving up just one earned run off two hits and three walks with three strikeouts through five innings.

SENIOR DIVISION

Fielders 6, Jets II 5

The Jets II started out with a promising 4-0 lead in the opening frame off four hits and some timely walks. They loaded the bases right away and Kyle Hocog cleared them with a double before Ray-Ray Tenorio later drove home the former.

The Jets II’s Jeffrey Lizama then led off the third with a hit and scored off an error before the Fielders got their first run from a RBI single by Poland Masaharu in the bottom frame.

The Fielders’ starting pitcher Keene Guerrero made it through the fourth unscathed before being tapped by Davin Ada to close the match. The Fielders’ were fortunate to receive a gifted run from an error in the fourth inning and kept chomping at the bit with their sticks in the last two frames.

Ada cooled the Jets II down the homestretch, while his teammates pulled within a run in the bottom of the fifth. Khobby Kaipat singled in Masaharu, and Ian Rogolifoi brought Ada to the plate. The Fielders then pulled in front in the sixth inning off some costly throws from the mound.

Ada had three scoreless innings under pressure to keep his team in contention and gave up two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Ol’Aces 14, Jets I 8

The Ol’Aces broke the ice with three runs in the first inning off three hits. Jun Rabauliman and AJ Lizama pounded back-to-back in-the-park home runs.

The count then shifted to 8-1, after the second frame, as the Ol’Aces racked up five more runs off a couple hits and some errors. Rabauliman and Verlance Secharmedal bagged RBI singles.

The Jets I halved the deficit in the third inning with a pair of RBI base rips by Quinson Blas and Lorenzo Attao and an RBI walk, but the Ol’Aces escaped with a pick of ducks on the pond.

Jets I’s Mathew Maeda belted a solo in-the-park homer at the start of the fourth, but the Aces responded with four runs in the bottom frame off four hits. Lizama cranked another in-the-park homer and Paul Bower bagged a RBI single.

The Ol’Aces went on to add two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and held Jets I to three runs when they postured in the top of the sixth inning to secure the win.

Rabauliman batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs; Secharmedal went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base; and Maeda batted 3-for-4 with two runs and was just a double shy of the cycle.

Falcons 13, D-9ers 1

The Falcons assumed an early 4-1 lead with a pair of runs in both the first and second innings from a RBI double and a stolen dish by Raymond Saralu, followed up with a run off an error and a sacrifice fly by Jose Lizama.

The D-9ers’ Jeremy Atalig hooked up with his leadoff man Brandon Dela Cruz in the very first inning, but Falcons’ pitcher Ricky Riungel tightened up his game for the rest of his shift.

Riungel’s teammates sealed the deal with seven runs in the third inning off six hits. Frankie Norita bagged an RBI double, Frankie Lieto hit a two-RBI single, and Brandon Lieto nailed an RBI base knock.

The Falcons had a run in the fourth and fifth frames before earning the early nod.

Riungel gave up one earned run off three hits and a hit batsman with five strikeouts through four innings. Norita swung 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs; Saralu batted 3- for-4 with an RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. The D-9ers’ Atalig went 2-for-2 with an RBI.