SBL crown within Falcons’ reach

Falcons team manager Doru Camacho banked on the steady arms of Peter Lieto and A.J. Lizama and the pitching duo delivered in Game 3 of the 2015 Saipan Baseball League finals

Falcons coach Doru Camacho, center, exchanges high-fives with Alex Benavente, left, and Lamarc Iguel during Game 3 of their best-of-five title series against the GSM Brewers in the 2015 Saipan Baseball League last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Lieto tossed four innings in relief, two in shutout, while starter Lizama went 4-for-5 in a 9-6 triumph by the Falcons over the GSM Brewers last Friday night at the Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.

The Falcons, who are aiming for its first title since winning the 2007 season, could wrap up the best-of-five championship series tonight and foil the Brewers’ back-to-back title bid.

Lieto was tagged with two earned runs on three hits while fanning five and walking three. He thwarted the Brewers’ comeback hopes in the bottom of the ninth.

Lieto, in the bottom of the ninth, forced Brewers lead-off batter Jimmy Brel to fly out to right fielder Frankie Lieto for the first out, but walked Jun Rabauliman, who stole second and third to move into scoring position.

Rabauliman scored on a Tyrone Omar RBI single while Nokki Saralu walked. Manny Sablan singled to load the bases keeping the Brewers’ chances of forcing an extra inning or win the game by walk-off.

Lenny Sablan came in to pinch run for Sablan and Byron Kaipat had a sacrifice fly to left fielder Goru Iskawa to drive in Omar.

Lieto ended the Brewers’ hopes when he forced second baseman Roy Celis to an infield fly that landed straight on Falcons’ shortstop Lamarc Iguel’s glove.

Lizama pitched five innings allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks. He went 4-for-5 with one run, an RBI and a triple while Lieto, 3-for-5, scored a run.

Iguel drove in two runs, reached home plate twice, and had a triple in a 2-for-5 batting, while Frankie Lieto went 2-for-3 with one run and an RBI.

This is also the first time in the series that both teams batted over .300 with the Falcons going .350 while the Brewers had .305.

Pitching champion Vince Cepeda tossed six innings in relief, but failed to hold down the Falcons. He gave up three runs, one earned, on seven hits, while retiring seven and had no walks.

Toby Fleming lasted only three innings allowing six runs, one earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Saralu, who was silent in the first two games, went 2-for-4 with one run and a triple, while Brel also batted 2-for-4 with one run scored. Rabauliman, 2-for-3, drove in two runs and scored twice, while Manny Sablan scored once on a 2-for-4 plate appearance.