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Rogolifoi takes batting title; Cepeda rules pitching race
The Tigers? Ian Rogolifoi, seen here at first base against the Brewers? Byron Kaipat, won the batting race in the 2014 Saipan Baseball League that concluded its regular season last Friday night at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
The Tigers’ Ian Rogolifoi bagged the batting crown, while the Brewers’ Vince Cepeda took the pitching title as the regulation season of the 2014 Saipan Baseball League came to a close last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
Rogolifoi posted a batting average of .452 after his Tigers completed the double-round robin elimination with a win against the D-9ers last Friday. Rogolifoi went 14-for-31 in 10 games and was the lone player in the batting leaderboard to average at least .400.
Runner-up Tyrone Omar of the Brewers registered a batting average of .394 after going 13-for-33, while his teammate Nokkie Saralu finished third off a 13-for-34 performance at bat and .382 average. Rounding out the Top 15 batters, which were based on 30 or more times at bat, were the Yankees’ Brian Camacho (.378), the Fielders’ Jared Sablan (.354), the Brewers’ Diego Camacho (.333), the Tigers’ Rocco Reyes (.324), the Yankees’ Chris Camacho (.313), the Tigers’ Mark Toves (.306) and Tom Guerrero (.300), the Northern Starz’s Jeremy Atalig (.297), the Brewers’ Ton Leon Guerrero (.294), the Yankees’ Pat Alepuyo (.286), and the Brewers’ Byron Kaipat (.278) and Jun Rabauliman (.267).
In the pitching race, Cepeda bested nine others after recording a 0.31 ERA. The Brewers ace allowed only one run in 28.2 innings pitched to beat the Fielders’ Aaron Benavente and teammate Leonard Sablan. Benavente notched a 1,29 ERA off three earned runs allowed in 21 innings, while Sablan rounded out the Top 3 after giving up two earned runs in 13 innings.
The pitching leaders were based on 12 or more innings pitched. The Fielders’ Joe Palacios finished tied for fourth with teammate Tony Benavente as they registered similar 2.13 ERAs. Palacios allowed six earned runs in 25.1 innings, while Benavente gave up only three in 12.2 innings.
Completing the pitching leaders list were the Yankees Manny Cabrera (2.25), the Tigers’ Frankie Lieto (2.88), the Yankees’ Kevin Kapileo (3.00), the Northern Starz’s Ben Lizama, Jr. (3.94), and the Brewers’ Thomas Camacho (4.15).
Lieto, who led the ERA category twice, settled for the top honors in the strikeouts division with his 43. He foiled Cepeda’s bid for a second individual award, as the latter collected only 36 strikeouts. Palacios and Camacho had 26 and 25, respectively.
In the runs race, the Northern Starz’s Lamarc Iguel and Omar shared first place after earning 15 each. They won over Northern Starz’s Juan Iguel (14), Rogolifoi (14), and Diego Camacho (13). For the doubles contest, the trophy will go to the Tigers’ Jesse Yamagishi, who gathered five doubles and placed ahead of Ton Leon Guerrero and Jared Sablan, who tallied four apiece.
In triples, Saralu is the champion with two, beating 21 others who had only one each. Saralu is also the RBI king after earning 17 and defeating Jared Sablan (10), Brian Camacho (10), and Rogolifoi (9).
