Red Sox edge Twins in Little League

The Bank of Saipan Red Sox strengthened its playoff bid in the Majors division of the Saipan Little League after squeezing out a 17-16 win over the Wells Fargo As Matuis Twins on Thursday at the Miguel Basa “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Field.

The Red Sox improved to an 11-3 slate to tie the Happy Market Ol’Aces from third to fourth place behind the 14-1 mark of the defending champion SaipanCell Patriots and the 12-1 slate of the second-running UMDA Hustlers.

Philip Passi started the Red Sox’ comeback bid belting an inside-the-park home run to lead the Red Sox’ comeback bid going 3-for-4 scoring twice in the game to go with his double and four RBIs.

Trailing 10-3 after 3 1/2 innings, Passi whacked a two-run homer in the Red Sox’ five-run fourth-inning rally to close in at 8-10.

Still down at 16-8, Jerome Reyes finished off what Passi started connecting with a two-RBI double in the Red Sox’ nine-run bottom of the sixth inning rally. He went 3-for-4 scoring two runs to go with his triple and three RBIs.

Passi, after hitting that two-run four-bagger in the fourth inning, also had a two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.

Dolphins 11 McDonald’s 1

On Wednesday at “Tan Ge” Field, Frankie Blas helped the PTI Dolphins cruise to an 11-1 win over Team McDonald’s.

Blas pitched a four-hit complete game that was shortened by the 10-run mercy rule. He also had eight strikeouts with no walks and gave up on earned run.

After striking out Mariano Ngeskebei, Blas hit Ryan Butac by a pitch putting a McDonald’s runner on base in the bottom of the fourth. Blas did not lose his focus after that and fanned Clayton Sablan and Herman Guerrero to end the game.

Butac, who singled in the second inning, scored the lone run for McDonald’s when he reached home on a Ken Taguchi RBI triple.

Survivors 21, Suns 7

Over at the San Vicente Elementary School Field, Gayvan Uchau pitched three no-hit innings in relief to lead the Martha’s Survivors to a 21-7 triumph also on Wednesday.

Uchau, who replaced Poland Masaharu in the bottom of the second, struck out four batters while walking eight and giving up three earned runs.

Masaharu lasted only one inning allowing one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts, and one walk. Masaharu also blasted a solo shot in the fourth inning going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs.

Yobech Brel and Vicente Cabrera went perfect at the plate combining for 6-for-6 in batting with five runs. Brel also had and RBI while Cabrera had a double.

Philip Sablan went 2-for-4 with one run, a double, and two RBIs while Uchau and Jerry Kintol combined for 4-for-8 with six runs.

Dragons 11, Dolphins 10

Brothers Alvin and Jose Ngeskebei each homered as the San Antonio Dragons eked out an 11-10 win over the PTI Dolphins.

Alvin, who walked in the first, hammered a three-run dinger in the Dragons’ five-run third inning. He also had a single going 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.

Jose struck out in his first at bat but recovered in the third with an RBI single before making that two-run blast that cleared the Little League fence in the fifth inning. He went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.

Juljean Ngeskebei pitched four innings in start giving up three earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and six walks. Steven Cabrera pitched two innings in relief surrendering five earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.