Miller Lite beats Budweiser in battle of beers

The battle between two of Saipan’s favorite brews came down to an extra-inning contest packed with drama and late-game heroics as the Miller Lite Brewers edged the Budweiser Kings 17-16 to win their third game of the 2005 Saipan Major League.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Brewers surrendered the advantage to the King of teams when they allowed three runs in the top of the second. Manager Tony Rogolifoi quickly refocused his squad, and the blue and gold rebounded for three of their own in the bottom of the inning to regain a two-run lead at 5-3.

Both two teams’ bats fell silent in the third before the young guns from Bud unleashed a barley barrage in the five-run fourth inning that gave them an 8-5 advantage over the defending champions.

The cagey veterans managed to scratch out a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to two runs, and received solid all-around defense to hold the Kings to a goose egg in the top of the fifth.

The Brew crew still had plenty of hops left in their vat, as they pasteurized four runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the two-run lead that they hadn’t enjoyed since the end of the second.

The seesaw battle raged into the sixth inning when left fielder Dan Dela Cruz crossed home plate to tie the game for the Kings, but Frances George scored for his third time of the night in the bottom of the inning to give the Brewers a one-run edge heading into the seventh.

The sounds of wood and leather collisions were silenced again on both sides of the stretch, before the Brewers added a little insurance in the bottom of the eighth when Byron Kaipat crossed the plate to give his squad a 12-10 lead.

The Kings made the Brew crew cash in their policy in the top of the ninth inning when they opened up a can for four runs to take a 14-12 advantage late in the game. With their backs against the wall, the defending champs relied on their experience to scavenge a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth to force a late nighter.

Once again the Kings looked royally impressive by coming up with two clutch runs in the top of the 10th inning, and they were looking forward to notching their second win of the season, but the Brewers chipped away at the lead until they tied the game, before George laid down a sacrifice bunt to end the game, 17-16

George finished the game 1-for-5 with a single, three runs scored, and a stolen bag, but Paul Camacho stole the show with a 3-for-7 performance at the plate with three singles. Kaipat finished the contest with a 2-for-5 showing at the plate with a pair of singles, three runs scored, and a stolen base.