Close wins for Falcons, Enforcers

A Falcons outfielder throws to first base to beat a Comets runner during a first round game in the a Junior League division of the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Francisco ?Tan Ko? Palacios Ballfield. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The JPO Enforcers and Falcons thwarted separate foes in Junior League division games in the 2014 Saipan Little League Baseball last Sunday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
The league-leading Enforcers were paired against defending champions Red Sox and pulled off a 9-8 win to remain undefeated in nine games. Shortstop Shakobe Rangamar made the game-winning hit with his single bringing Ton Muna home at the bottom of the seventh inning.

Muna’s run was the Enforcers’ second in the last inning. Kier Agda scored the first one off a fielder’s choice to tie the match and prevent the Red Sox from recording an upset. The Red Sox boosted their chances to end the Enforcers’ winning run after taking an 8-7 lead, going into the bottom of the seventh and last inning.

The defending champions then moved one out away from escaping with an upset when Tindin Deleon Guerrero struck out leadoff batter Virgil Secharmidal and second batter Ethan Babauta flied out to right field. Agda was next at bat for the Enforcers and advanced off an error from the Red Sox shortstop, while Muna singled, moving the former to third and later to home plate off a fielder’s choice. Muna also did not take long to reach home, as Rangamar hit his target and foiled the Red Sox’s bid to hand the Enforcers their first loss.

The Enforcers, who got seven runs in the first four innings, were quiet in the fifth and sixth, while the Red Sox earned five runs in the first three innings and then bagged three more in the sixth to threaten the division leader before falling short in the end.

In the other close game last Sunday, the Falcons scored four runs in the sixth inning to nose out the Fielders.

Down at 5-8 after five complete inning, the Falcons turned the tables on the Fielders at the bottom of the sixth after registering four runs off an RBI single from Ace Evangelista and three errors from foes. The Falcons kept the shaky lead and the win when relief pitcher Austin Deleon Guerero struck out leadoff batter Alvin Pua at the top of the seventh, shortstop Bennen Iguel caught a line drive from Christian Lizama, and Lifoifoi and Evangelista teamed up for a 4-3 putout play on Yuichan Onuki.

Meanwhile, in the third Junior League game, Comets topped the Jets, 11-6.
Comets relied on a steady offense, scoring in six of the seven complete inning game, while the Jets had a roller-coaster performance at bat.