Kabur nips Tigers in 10 innings

Bridge Capital-Kabur needed 10 innings before squeezing out a 14-13 win over the Tigers of Atty. Bob O’Connor on Friday night in the 3rd Annual Budweiser-Saipan Major League at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

The loss was the fourth straight for the Tigers after an 8-7 win over Komoro on April 7. They also suffered a 9-8 loss to Komoro on May 7, Wednesday.

Darwin Masaharu pitched in the bottom of the 10th relieving Tuwi Ngiraidong, who lasted nine innings.

Masaharu caught a Ben Cabrera grounder for a 1-3 putout play to Gloyd Martin at first base for the first out then walked Tony Rogolifoi, who moved to second on a passed ball.

Ivan Igitol hit a soft grounder that landed a few feet from Kabur catcher Payton Sakuma, who picked up the ball and made the throw to first baseman Martin for the second out.

Kabur earned the win, their second in eight games, after Masaharu forced Mabel Ngirngemelas to an infield fly with second baseman Hector Efrain making the catch for the third out.

The Tigers also played sloppy defense in the final inning making three errors to allow Kabur score the go-ahead run.

With one out, after Efrain flied out to Tigers right fielder Ngirngemelas, in the top of the 10th Poland Masaharu reached safely on first base on an Igitol throwing error.

Masaharu moved closer to home plate on a Manny Cabrera throwing error with Dave Kapileo reaching safely on first base in that play. Masaharu later scored on another throwing error by Cabrera with Kapileo moving to third in the same play.

Kapileo, however, failed to reach home when Reno Celis struck out Payton Sakuma and forced Jason Hayes to ground out on a 6-3 putout play where Cabrera redeemed himself by making the throw to first base.

Poland Masaharu’s run became the game-winning run as Darwin Masaharu retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the 10th.

Kabur also used a four-run scoring in the fourth and sixth innings.

Rasco Yamada only went 1-for-5 but had a bases-clearing three-RBI double in the sixth. Designated hitter Leo Bobai went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.

Hayes also went 2-for-3 scoring three times with one RBI. Martin went perfect at the plate going 3-for-3 with three runs, a double, a triple and an RBI.

On Wednesday, May 7, Komoro only needed nine innings to also squeeze out a 9-8 triumph over the Tigers.

Strikeout leader Jae Young Kim earned the win and the save pitching three innings as a closer giving up two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Holding on to a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Kim gave up a lead off single to Mesa, who had back-to-back stolen bases to put the tying run 90-feet away from home plate.

Kim settled in after that forcing Mike Muna to a soft grounder where he picked up the ball and fielded it cleanly to first baseman Jun Hyuk Jang for the first out.

He completed Komoro’s win when he struck out Dennis Cruz and Cabrera to end the game.

Jin Taek Lin went 2-for-4 with three RBIs including a two-RBI single in a four-run ninth inning rally. Hyung Joo Kim went 1-for-4 with one run and two RBIs.

Jang went 2-for-5 with one run, two doubles and an RBI. He also had an RBI double in Komoro’s four-run ninth inning strech.

Pitcher Kim also had an impressive performance at the plate going 3-for-4 with three runs and a triple.

Today’s game will feature the Korean Dreams against the Ford Rangers at 6:30pm at the FMP Baseball Field.