Yankees show mercy on Masters, 16-6

The Northern Yankees notched their second consecutive win of the 2005 edition of the Saipan Major League with solid play on both sides of the plate at Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field as they racked up a 10-run mercy-rule victory over the Freedom Air Masters, 16-6.

Yankees right fielder Ben Jones Jr. crossed the plate to end the game in the bottom of the seventh to cut short a stellar game by the pinstripers, but the offensive barrage was overshadowed by powerful pitching from a pair of Jonathans.

Yankees closer Jonathan Jones finished what Jonathan Tenorio started by retiring seven batters in a row to give last season’s runner-ups a share of first place alongside the Ford Rangers at 2-0.

Tenorio went three innings atop the mound for the pinstripers in which he yielded one run off of three hits before handing the 9-1 lead and ball over to middle reliever Sid Camacho prior to the start of the fourth inning.

Camacho lasted only one and two-thirds innings on the hill after allowing three runs off of three hits. Camacho got the hook after he walked in three consecutive runs to raise his total to six walks.

With the Masters creeping back into the game, 13-6, Jones slammed the door by striking out the remaining batter in the top of the fifth. He continued to pack the heat by striking out the side in the top of the sixth, and downed the Masters one-two-three in the seventh to finish with six strikeouts and no hits.

While the Yankees were hurling their way to the top of the standings, their batters came up big with 14 hits in the seven-inning affair, including an inside-the-park homerun by second baseman Johnson Jones in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave them a 10-3 advantage.

Jones finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of singles, as did shortstop John Reyes, but it was “Real Deal” Clifton Silil who led the Yankees with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate with three singles, a double, three runs batted in and four scores. The only one who crossed the plate more than Silil was all-star catcher Robert Bansil, who went 2-for-2 with a single, a double, three walks, with two runs batted, and five plate crossings.

The Yankees took advantage of the Masters early on in the contest, as they scored three runs off of four hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Though Tenorio allowed the Masters a run in the top of the second, the Yanks piled on another three runs in the bottom of the inning to give them a five-run advantage. Another solid inning by Tenorio let the Yankees breathe easy, but the Master were soon choking on the dust rising from the base path when they found themselves on the losing end of 9-1 score after three complete innings.

Camacho never quite found the control he was looking for during a shaky five run stretch between the fourth and fifth inning, but he received four runs over the same span from the Yankees hitters to maintain the lead.

By the time Jones came in, the Yankees were on the cusp of their second win, but a two-run sixth combined with a Silil RBI single in the bottom of the seventh was enough to cut the night’s festivities short.

The SML action continues tonight at the Oleai Sports Complex, as the Toyota Tacoma make their debut against the defending champion Miller Lite Brewers at 6:30pm.