Perfect Lady Blue Jays win 2023 BASA tiara

The Lady Blue Jays pose for a photo after winning the women’s division championship of the 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League when they defeated the Hot Shots in a best-of-two championship tournament last Sunday at the DanDan Softball Field.(LEIGH GASES)

The perfect Lady Blue Jays have swept the 2023 season of the Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League women’s division and topped it off with the championship win.

They defeated the Hot Shots in two championship games, with their last game a blowout 21-2 win last Sunday at the DanDan Softball Field. 

The Lady Blue Jays brought their A game and doused the fire of the Hot Shots early on as they led 5-1 by the third inning.

The real action came in the last inning when the Lady Blue Jays attacked Hot Shots pitching and brought in 11 runs. 

Destiny Pangelinan hit a bases-clearing, grand slam home run after all batters up and down the lineup made it on base and were brought home with back-to-back singles, one double by Rachel Salalila, and two triples by Kianu Aldan.

The Lady Blue Jays basically had all their parts in working order as their pitcher Angel Deleon Guerrero, only gave up only seven hits throughout the whole game. She was also backed up by her defense as they made some spectacular saves on the field.

It was a long shot for the Hot Shots to catch up by the last inning because at this point, they had only brought in two runs—one in the second inning by Mardina Kaipat and one in the fifth inning also by Kaipat. 

The Hot Shots could not climb out of the 19-run deficit in their last at-bat and with the last out, the Lady Blue Jays celebrated their perfect season and championship win.

The Lady Blue Jays team along with Pangelinan, Deleon Guerrero, Aldan, and Salalila, were Kiana “Baby K” Camacho, Bong Babauta, Bert Camacho, Amy Cabrera, Alannah Sablan, Keolani Rios, Rayna Deleon Guerrero, Leigh Gases, and Christy Aldan.

Lady Blue Jays team manager Froilan Camacho, who was also the manager of the championship team Queens of Diamond last season, said they finally completed a season undefeated.

Almost all but three players from the Queens of Diamond are players in the Lady Blue Jays and so basically made it a repeat championship win—just under a different team name.

He said, “their performance stood out through the whole season. Nobody held back anything and they just went out there and had fun.” He added what made them undefeated this season was their players’ discipline in practice and in their games.

On his team this season, he said “I don’t need to change anything. They just have to always work together. I thank my coaches Jun and Paul Salalila for training them to do their best and to have fun.”

He also thanked the team for a great season and the team’s sponsors, Pacific Rim and Paradiso Resort and Spa.

Camacho said they are the team to beat again for next season as they will come back to defend their title.
Results of the men’s division champion will be posted in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.