Lil’ Blue Jays shut down Ol’Aces, 20-6

Lil’ Blue Jays shut down Ol’Aces, 20-6, in the Major League of the Natibu Sports Association Youth Baseball League last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Softball Field.

It was a run frenzy for the young Blue Jays as they took a page from their men’s team in the 2024 Tan Holdings-Saipan Baseball League.

All nine players and pinch hitters contributed as they clubbed Ol’Aces’ pitching staff.

The floodgates hadn’t opened in the first inning yet, but the Lil’ Blue Jays tacked on three runs to get the game started. Ol’Aces’ Knox Sablan knocked one in the first and it was a 1-3 game.

Then, it didn’t take long before the game was busted wide open as in the second, the Lil’ Blue Jays put up five runs. But, Ol’Aces’ William Flores, Lorenzo Cruz, and Tioni Kapileo touched home to creep up, 4-8.

Ol’Aces’ pitching continued to take a beating in the third with four more runs scored by the Lil’ Blue Jays. Offensively for Ol’Aces, they couldn’t muster up much runs as well as they scored just two more before the game ended.

The Lil’ Blue Jays, on the other hand, scored eight runs in the last inning. They took advantage of Ol’Aces’ pitchers unable to find the strike zone and cashed in from their freebies of walks and hit by pitches.

Elijah Pelisamen then cleared the bases from an inside the park homer which put up the Lil’ Blue Jays, 20-6. In the end, the Lil’ Blue Jays’ Joel and Jorell Herman got on base three times each and scored three runs apiece.

On the bump, Lil’ Blue Jays’ pitching staff recorded eight strikeouts and just three hits. The six runs they gave up were either from passed balls or defensive miscues. Even with that, the Lil’ Blue Jays aggressiveness in the box and on the bases netted them their second win of the season.

In other games that day, the Marlins defeated the Comets, 17-9, and the Cobras beat the Pirates, 26-22.

Results of last Sunday’s and today’s games will be posted in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.