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Yankees rout Comets in Big League
The Yankees’ Angel Palacios gets ready to bat during the bottom of the fourth inning of their Big League game against the Comets in the SLLB last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
The Yankees quickly dispatched the Comets, cruising to a 15-1 win after only four and a half innings in their Big League division game in the 2016 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The early victory was what the Yankees’ needed as several of their players had to finish off the Comets to prepare for Kagman High School’s prom night. The Yankees-Comets match, which was originally set in the third and final game last Saturday was even moved to first to give way to the former’s request.
Pressed for time, the Yankees buckled down to work early, scoring eight runs in the first two innings to set up the win via 10-run mercy rule. They scored three runs at the bottom of the first inning off Peyton Lizama’s RBI single and two runs from a wild pitch and sacrifice fly. The Yankees then got two more runs off wild pitches in the second, one from Verlance Secharmidal’s RBI single, and two from the Comets’ errors at shortstop.
While the Yankees were on target early on, the Comets struggled and made it to the board only at the top of the fourth inning, courtesy of Jonathan’s Pialug’s run off the former’s booboo at shortstop.
The Yankees countered at the bottom of the fourth with seven runs to deliver the killer blows. Roke Tenorio starred in the decisive fourth after hitting a three-run triple.
With the Yankees ahead by 14, the Comets must score at least five runs at the top of the fifth to continue the game, but they got none as the latter were done after only four batters. Leadoff batter Regino Celis was struck out, while Brandon Sumor was beaten at first base. E.J. Castro was next at bat and singled, but was left stranded at first when Yankees catcher Alden Ngeskebei caught a fly ball from James Reyes to end the one-sided match.
Secharmidal took the win, as he pitched without relief and threw a four-hitter, while fanning out five.
The victory against the Comets was the second straight time that the Yankees held their foes to one run. Last April 24, the Yankees outclassed the Islanders, 7-1, with Lizama pitching a complete game and allowing only three hits with no earned runs, while striking out seven.
