Tigers hand Brewers first loss

The Tigers? Rocco Reyes waits for a pitch from Tom Camacho at the bottom of the sixth inning of their game in the 2014 Saipan Baseball League last Monday night at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

There’s no more undefeated team in the 2014 Saipan Baseball League, as the Tigers snapped the Brewers’ winning run with a 6-4 victory in their game last Monday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
Rocco Reyes led the Tigers’ upset of the Brewers, who won their first five games. Reyes, who has 0-for-3 in his first at bat, hit an RBI triple at the bottom of the eighth inning to force a deadlock, 4-all, and then stole home plate for the go-ahead run. Second baseman Jess Mesa also stole home to give the Tigers more cushion going into the ninth and last inning.

The Tigers went on to end the final inning quickly, as first baseman Ian Rogolifoi and Mesa teamed up in booting out the Brewers’ first three batters. Rogolifoi and Mesa caught fly balls from leadoff batter Lenny Sablan and Jun Rabauliman, respectively, and then partnered in the 4-3 putout play against Nokki Saralu.

The Tigers handed the Brewers their first loss despite failing to score in the first four innings and facing a 0-3 deficit. The Brewers got their first run off Ton Leon Guerrero’s RBI single in the second inning, while the two other runs were recorded off the Tigers’ errors in the third.

The Tigers trailed early, as they were held to one hit with Vince Cepeda on the mound for the Brewers in the first four innings. Cepeda struck out four Tigers batters and no runners from the opposing team made it past second base in that juncture before he gave up another hit and committed a wild pitch and hit by pitch in the fifth inning.

Tom Guerrero took over from Cepeda after the latter’s wild pitch gave the Tigers their first run. The Tigers went on to end the fifth behind by only one run after McGarry Sebaklim scored off Marvin Kaipat’s error at centerfield. A Mesa RBI single at bottom of the sixth inning tied the match and the match remained even in the next inning before the Brewers regained the upper hand off Manny Sablan’s RBI single in the eighth inning.

However, the Tigers roared in the bottom of the eighth with their three runs to steal the victory from the defending champions.

With the win, the Tigers improved their record to 3-3.

Fielders 12, North Starz 0
In last Friday’s game, the Fielders earned an easy win via mercy rule against the North Starz.
The Fielders bagged their fourth win in four games after only six and a half innings, as a five-run bottom of the sixth gave last year’s runners-up the needed 10 runs to finish off the North Starz (2-5) early.

Ton Benavente hit a two-run single in the sixth inning, while Brian McAllister had an RBI single, and the Fielders got the two other runs off the North Starz’s errors at home plate and second base. Benavente also had a two-run RBI single earlier in the third inning where the Fielders made four runs to take a 7-0 lead. The three early runs were logged in the second inning off Jared Sablan’s two-run single and a sacrifice out.

Joe Palacios pitched for the Fielders in the first three innings and allowed only four hits, while striking out six. With Palacios in charge and the rest of the Fielders’ defense in place, the North Starz made it to scoring position only once. Lamarc Iguel walked in the sixth inning, stole second, and eventually reached third on a Fielders’ miscue, but was left stranded, as Benavente picked up a grounder from first base for the third out.