670 MĂGĂS Babes clinches 2nd in LV Labor Day tourney

For the first time, a women’s softball team from Saipan—670 MĂGĂS Babes—participated in the 2024 CNMI Labor Day Softball Tournament in the U.S. mainland, which was in its 19th edition this year and held at Las Vegas, Nevada.

The tourney ran on Labor Day weekend from Aug. 30 to Sep. 1 at Sunset Park, with 670 MĂGĂS Babes clinching second place after falling by just one run, 6-7, in their blistering hot championship game against LMFAO last Sunday.

The 670 MĂGĂS Babes held the lead throughout most of the game and entered the bottom of the seventh inning with a razor thin lead of 6-4. LMFAO, a truly skilled team plus home-team advantage on their side, took advantage of a couple of fielding errors. Then, won by one run via a walkoff base on ball to claim the championship, 7-6.

LMFAO, a team that consisted of players from different states, was undefeated, and 670 MĂGĂS Babes took them on just 10 minutes after beating Hafa Tribe, 28-5, in the semis.

In the round-robin matchup last Saturday, the 670 MĂGĂS Babes suffered their first loss to LMFAO, 9-10, then won against Hafa Tribe again, 18-7.

670 MĂGĂS Babes’ roster included co-founder/co-captain Erlinda Naputi and Pauline Camacho, TaAnn Kabua-Demapan, Edilynn Benjamin, Franica Masga, Tani Masga, Louisa Moolang, Rita Taitano, Maribel Igitol, Jocelyn Torres, Catalina Dela Cruz, Emy Oiterong Sablan, Rachel Salalila, Almina Deleon Guerrero, Aria Taitano, June Camacho, and May Cabrera.

The officials included manager Martin Naputi, assistant manager/acting Las Vegas tournament manager Angel Demapan, head coach Bill Camacho, coach Nate Torres, and coach/acting head coach for the Las Vegas tournament Paul Salalila.

For 19 years, the tournament has been initiated by a handful of people from the CNMI living in the U.S. in an effort to bring together the CNMI community from different states during Labor Day weekend.

The tournament has grown so big that in the men’s masters division, Saipan’s Team Sufa also flew out and participated.

For manager Angel Demapan, he said the experience was beyond measure, while the competition was fierce.

“This was a historic moment for women’s softball in Saipan given that it was the first ever representation for a Saipan-based women’s team at the stateside tournament. Honestly, just getting to Las Vegas was a big win for our 670 Magas Babes. It was only this May that the players tossed the idea and went full throttle to hold fundraisers in June, July, and August. This team’s relentless spirit to raise funds also translates to their passion and drive for the game of softball. I cannot say enough about how committed and determined these ladies are. They are everyday people—working women, moms, and even grandmothers—who all share a common love of softball and a desire to promote healthy and responsible living,” he said.

When asked what the goal was of the team and if they achieved it, he said that getting to Vegas in the first place and doing their very best was the number one goal. “I can tell you without hesitation that they did exactly that,” said Demapan. “These ladies did everything they could to raise the funds they needed to make their trip possible. And when we got there, they immediately turned on their competitive mode with batting cage practice on Thursday evening, even though they could’ve taken the opportunity to visit the many attractions of Las Vegas. We fell one run short of winning the coveted championship title, but this experience for the ladies, coach Paul Salalila, and myself, has given us the greater rewards of appreciating life and fostering and even greater spirit of being exactly who we are—a softball family team. That, in my opinion, makes us champions in our book. And for [this] relentless group of lady ballers, they just wrote their own chapter in their HERstory books.”

For co-founder/president Erlinda Naputi, she expressed her sincere gratitude to everyone who was involved in making their dream of playing in the stateside tournament a reality.

“We may have placed second in the 2024 CNMI Labor Day Tournament, but the hard work, passion, friendship, and memories we created together will be cherished forever. A chapter in our books will be filled with heartwarming stories to share with our children, grandchildren, and family. The legacy we built as a team surpasses any championship title. It is called family!” she said.

The team then acknowledged and thanked the community and the following sponsors for their support:

Platinum sponsors: Magas Corp., Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Oh My Grill!, Office of Speaker Edmund Villagomez, Office of Rep. Roy Ada, Office of Rep. Diego Camacho, Office of Rep. Marissa Flores, Office of Sen. Karl King-Nabors, and 23rd Tinian and Aguiguan Legislative Delegation.

Gold sponsors: JEM Company, Ltd., Joeten Motors, Office of Rep. TJ Manglona, and Office of Rep. BJ Attao.

Silver sponsors: Pacifica Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Office of Rep. John Paul Sablan, Office of Rep. Joseph Flores, 4Ever CNMI, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, and Trench Tech MMA Promotions.

Bronze sponsors: Tupe Cane Juice, Stitched Hat Co., MARPAC Inc., Bravo Kitchen & Bar, Jay Aldan, Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Office of Sen. President Edith Deleon Guerrero, Office of Rep. Edwin K. Propst, and Office of Rep. Ralph Yumul.