Previous Story
Rangers massacre Masters, 21-2
|
Posted on May 14 2006
There was little that the umpires could do but stand there and wait for the seventh-inning stretch to invoke the Saipan Major League’s 10-run mercy rule as the Ford Rangers beat the living tar out of the Masters, 21-2, on Saturday afternoon at Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.
After neither team managed a run in the opening inning of play, the Rangers tallied runs during each at bat until the scored their final plate crossing in the bottom of the sixth 21 runs later.
Third baseman Pete Tomokane led all hitters with a 3-for-4 performance that yielded a pair of singles, a double, and a run batted in, and Ben Tagabuel (2-for-4) drove in three runs off of a pair of singles, while left fielder Frances George (2-for-6) brought four runners home off of a pair of base knocks and stole a base.
Everyone who picked up a bat for the Rangers earned an RBI, and even relief pitcher J.J. Laniyo had a solid day at the plate with a single, a triple, and three ribbies after hitting 2-for-5. Laniyo came in to close the final two innings for Roy “The Rocket” Celis, and allowed a run off of one hit.
Celis allowed one run off of five hits through went five innings for the Rangers before handing off the ball to Laniyo with the outcome of the game long since decided.
There was still an air of confidence in the Masters’ dugout after the teams were scoreless through one and a half, but that quickly dissipated when the defending champions erupted with a nine-run second and a seven-run third to take a commanding 16-0 lead.
The Masters were unable to score until the top of the fifth when veteran slugger Bob O’Connor strolled across home plate to break the shutout. That was just about all of the offense that the Masters could muster, but the Rangers continued to score runs until the end of the game.
