Undefeated Flyers continue to soar

As the season begins to wind down for the Saipan Softball Association Men’s Island Wide Slow Pitch Softball League, the top teams and top players that have managed to maintain a level of excellence have begun to pull away from the pack, and have earned the right to be recognized for their efforts.

Leading the league with an untarnished record are the Freedom Air Flyers at 9-0. Though there have been a couple of close calls, the Flyers have answered every challenge to their dominance with a victory. It is no coincidence that the flyboys boast a roster of talented individuals that have soared to the heights of the leader list.

Roque Camacho has slugged his way into ninth place among the top batters in the league, going 28-for-39 at the plate with a batting average of .718. Camacho is also tied for the league lead with seven triples, but he’s not the only Camacho on the Flyers that has provided some excitement for his squad. Frank Camacho cranked the third most homeruns so far this year with 16. When you send that many balls out of the park, you’re bound to have a bunch of runs batted in, and only three others have more than Camacho and his 35 ribbies.

J.R. Suel also has 35 RBIs, but he also aided the Flyers with 13 homeruns (fourth) and 31 runs scored (third), while teammate Ben Mesa third in the league with six triples.

Close on the heels of the Flyers are the 8-1 Eliminators. Led by Jonathan Delos Santos, the Eliminators have been overpowering the competition with a heavy hitting offense. Delos Santos and his brother Jerome are a quality one-two punch for any line up, but Jonathan’s consistency has landed him the eighth spot among the Top 10, having hit 23-for-32 for a .719 average.

Teammate Roy Celis has displayed a combination of speed and power, as he is tied for the league lead in doubles with nine. The Eliminators are favored in just about every game they play, but the third place team is trying to make their mark on the league as well.

Natibu is cruising along with a 9-2 record, and they’ve got a handful of players that have emerged from the average to make it on the list of standouts. Nick Castro has kept his eye on the ball better than any of his mates this season, as the steady hitter has gone 32-for-42 at the plate for a .762 average. Castro stretched eight of those hits into doubles (fifth), but he’s got a pair of Tudelas that have made triples their business.

Joe and Eric Tudela have combined for 10 three-baggers, and with five apiece they are tied for fifth in the league. Eric continued to shine with 12 dingers and 29 plate crossings, while teammate Bruce Norita added 12 homers on the season as well.

The Bud Light Chura aren’t far off the mark at 8-4, and they have been carried to fourth place by a solid line up that features the most dangerous third baseman in the game—Mel Sakisat.

Sakisat leads the league in home runs (20), runs batted in (63), and is in second place with 34 runs scored. While he has the big power numbers, Sakisat makes the smart hits as well, going 40-for-49 at the plate for a .816 average (fourth).

Chura is also well represented by Stan Laniyo (30 runs scored) and Mario Sablan (28 runs scored, seven triples), J.J. Laniyo (eight doubles, six triples), and Peter Sablan (13 homers, 36 RBI’s).

At 6-4, the Island-Mix is hovering in fifth place and with their destiny in their hands. If they win out, they will be in a great spot come playoff time, and with the league’s second best hitter, they certainly have a chance to do it.

Tony Luzama has been the go-to-guy on his team, going 35-for-41 with a .854 average at the plate, and he’s also among the leaders in runs scored (29), doubles (9), and homeruns (12).

While Luzama has been a one man wrecking crew for his squad, the Brotherhood have the two-headed monster known as Payton Sakuma and Leo Bobai.

Nobody has crossed the plate more often than Sakuma (35), and only Sakisat has more homeruns (19) and RBIs (53). Sakuma has topped all but four batters, going 35-for-45 at the plate for a .778 batting average to lead his team, but Bobai’s 29-for-41 .707, 30 runs scored and nine doubles aren’t too shabby either.

John Acosta’s 21-for-29 and .724 has helped X-Clusive (6-4) maintain striking distance, but Robert Bansil’s 21-for-25 and .840 is a lone bright spot for a struggling Buddzz (3-5) squad. The only thing more disappointing than a 3-5 team with a standout player is a 4-7 team with a shinning star.

Nobody has hit the ball like John Reyes of La Chai. Reyes leads all hitters, going 34-for-39 for .872. The speedy shortstop also leads the league with nine doubles, and represents his team well with 30 runs scored and five triples. Reyes is leading by example, but it appears that no one is following.

At the bottom of the list are Bring It On (4-7), Da Boyz (3-8), Team Juan Santiago (1-8), Fadang (2-9), and the lowly Outlaws (0-10).The only thing left to do for these teams is to enjoy their last couple of games and cheer on their friends in the playoffs.