Hustlers are SML Fall champions

The Rep. Dave Apatang Hustlers easily put to rest claims that they didn’t have what it takes to repeat as champions in the fall edition of the Saipan Major League when they knocked off the Heinz & David North Stars, 15-5, in the fourth and final game of the best-of-five championship series on Saturday afternoon at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field at the Oleai Sports Complex.

The Hustlers thwarted pitcher Jonathan Tenorio’s best efforts atop the mound as they connected with eight hits thrown by the North Stars hurler through his seven innings, before riddling Brandon Santos for five runs in the final two.

Center fielder Roy Celis led the charge for the Hustlers with a pair of singles and a run scored—the first of the game.

After beginning the first six games of the season with a less than spectacular 2-4 record, the Hustlers circled the wagons to win their final three games to win the pennant. They didn’t procrastinate in this game, as the Hustlers started their offense early by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning when catcher Manny Sablan grounded to first to score lead-off hitter Celis, and Jonathan Delos Santos hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score his brother Jerome.

The North Stars answered back with a run in the bottom half of the inning when catcher Robert Bansil singled in center fielder Ben Jones, but that would be the last run they would score until Jones crossed the plate via a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning.

During the North Stars’ offensive hiatus in innings two through five, the Hustlers added six runs—mostly courtesy of a three-hit, five-run fifth inning in which third baseman A. J. Allen and shortstop Dane Lizama each singled in a pair of base runners.

The Hustlers offensive production was cooled in the top of the sixth when pitcher Jonathan Tenorio worked his magic, but his teammates were only able to close the gap by a run in the bottom of the inning.

The Hustlers hitting machine was open for business again in the top of the seventh, but they only needed two hits to score the four runs that put the game away.

Allen finished the game 1-1 with a double, a run scored, and a walk, while his replacement in the line up J.R. Suel hit a single and was plunked by Tenorio in the seventh inning. Second baseman Jester Garcia was moved over to shortstop and rallied his team through his actions at the plate, finishing the day 2-for-5 with a single, a double, and a run scored.

Poor fielding plagued the North Stars, as the boys from the upper part of the island committed five errors, while their pitchers served up four walks, two wild pitches, a past ball, and a bean ball—far worse than the caliber of ball that they displayed throughout the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs.