Rockies, McDonald’s stay in playoff race

An IP&E Rockies outfielder throws to second base during their game against Comets I in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball early this month at the Miguel ?Tan Ge? Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The IP&E Rockies and McDonald’s dominated separate foes last weekend to remain in playoff contention in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball.
The Rockies hammered the Braves, 15-5, in last Saturday’s first game at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield, while McDonald’s downed Comets II, 12-4, in the second match. Both the Rockies and McDonald’s finished the regular season with 7-7 records (unofficial) and are battling for the last four playoff berths against JPO Enforcers (8-4), Little Legals (8-4), Laolao Bay (7-6), and Hustlers (7-7). The Falcons (12-1), IT&E (12-2), Braves (11-3), and Comets I (10-3) have secured the first four playoff tickets and the winners of the last four spots will be determined by the remaining matches in the last two weeks of the regular season.

Behind at 1-3 after two complete innings, the Rockies turned the tables on the Braves with a five-run top of the third and kept going, scoring nine more runs in the last two innings. The Rockies got three earned runs in the third and two off the Braves’ miscue to grab the lead, 6-5. The Braves continued to commit defensive lapses in the fourth, allowing the Rockies to have more earned runs and one stolen base for the latter’s 8-5 cushion. The IP&E-backed team then saved the best for last, nailing six runs at the top of the sixth, with two of them coming off Dominic Torres’ RBI single. At the bottom of the sixth, the Braves went down after only three batters, losing their bid to challenge the Falcons for the pennant.

In the second game, McDonald’s also leaned on its third-inning attack to take control of its match against the eliminated Comets II (3-11). McDonald’s failed to score in the first two innings and was behind, 0-3, when it collected eight runs at the top of the third to grab the lead and never lost it. A.J. Sanchez and Jared Reyes hit two-RBI double and two-RBI singles, respectively, to change McDonald’s fortune in the pivotal third inning.

McDonald’s kept the safe margin, as it held Comets II to one run in the last three innings, while scoring four more. The Comets II, which registered its three runs early in the first inning, had one run in the last with John Keremius reaching home off a McDonald’s error at second base.