Rockies, Falcons rout foes

The Rockies second baseman throws to first during their game against the Falcons early this month in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Miguel ?Tan Ge? Basa Pangelinan Ballfield. Both the Rockies and Falcons routed separate foes in last Monday?s matches. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The IP&E Rockies and Falcons flirted with a no-hitter to earn lopsided victories over separate opponents in the Major division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball League last Monday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

The IP&E Rockies utilized pitchers Brandon Delos Reyes and Tyrese Camacho to limit the Jets to one hit and ease their way to a 21-7 victory in the curtain-raiser.

Delos Reyes started out for the IP&E Rockies and although the Jets scored six runs at the bottom of the second with him on the mound, most of them were off walks. He allowed only a single to Dave Salas late in the second inning before taking a set for Camacho. The relief pitcher did a better pitching job, as he walked only two and struck out six batters. With Camacho’s steady hands, the Jets made it no past first base in the last two innings.

While the Jets had problems rounding the bases, the IP&E Rockies were coasting their way around the dish, capitalizing on the former’s defensive miscues. The Rockies got five of their seven runs in the first inning off the Jets’ errors and kept their scoring run in the last three innings, nailing five runs apiece in the second and third and adding four in the fourth and last.

With the victory, IP&E Rockies improved their record to 3-2, while the Jets remained winless in four games.

In the second match, the Falcons also took only four innings to finish off the Ol’Aces, 18-0.

The Falcons remained undefeated in six games to keep the top view in the 15-squad field, while the Ol’Aces are at the bottom half of the team standings with their 1-4 card.

Zach Reyes and Keno Serrano pitched for the Falcons in the first three innings and shut down the Ol’Aces, allowing no hit, while Aven Evangelista closed out for the division leader and gave up a single, but no run in the fourth inning. The three Falcons pitchers combined for nine strikeouts.

The Falcons walked away with the lopsided victory despite a slow start on offense. The defending champions got only two runs in the first inning with Max Pangelinan scoring the team’s first run off an Ol’Aces pitching error and Angel Iguel reaching home off a fielder’s choice. Then in the next two innings, the Falcons were busy making one run after another, tallying seven runs in the second and nine in the third to move one inning away from securing an early win via 10-run mercy rule.

Meanwhile, the third and final game last Monday between the GSM Twins (0-4) and Hustlers (3-0) was rescheduled.