Taisacan hits for cycle as Rangers maul Tigers

Benwachi Taisacan hit for the cycle in the Ford Rangers’ 17-7 beat down of O’Conner Tigers in the resumption of the 2008 Budweiser Saipan Major League Tuesday night at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

While the scheduled load shedding at the Oleai Sports Complex pushed the Rangers-Tigers match to an 8pm start, there was no shortage of power in the Rangers game, as the Joeten Motors-sponsored team rallied from 0-3 deficit in the first inning to score a mercy rule-shortened win against the old-timers of the Tigers.

Taisacan again presided over the Rangers’ victory, recording the season’s first cycle after hitting a double in the first inning, a triple in the second, a single in the fifth, and an inside-the-park homerun in the sixth inning.

Last week, Taiscan turned their game against the San Roque D-9ers around when he tripled in the third and fourth innings and recorded four RBIs that fueled their 14-7 win.

The Tigers, whose players sported their age in the back of their yellow uniforms, jumped the gun on their younger counterparts in the very first inning of the game Tuesday, as a base hit by Jess Mesa brought home two of his teammates and Mesa himself crossed home plate on a pass ball.

Their lead, however, proved short-lived as starting pitcher J.P. Flores settled down—giving up only one run in the next inning—and the Rangers exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second, highlighted by designated hitter Ray Guerrero’s two RBIs.

The Rangers added two more runs in the third even as the Tigers cut their deficit to 7-9 after the Rangers miscues allowed Mesa, Manny Tenorio, and Ben Duenas to head home in the fourth.

Taisacan and company retaliated with two more scores in the bottom of the fourth to make it 11-7 and then added six more in the fifth and sixth innings to guarantee that the mercy run rule would come into effect.

The win allowed Rangers to improve to 7-3 and break its tie at second place with defending champion Tanapag Falcons (6-3). The loss, meanwhile, put the Tigers deeper into the cellar with one win against nine losses.

Taisacan was again unstoppable from the batter’s box, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and the same number of runs scored.

J.R. Laniyo, meanwhile, was perfect from plate (5-for-5) and recorded two RBIs to go along with his two runs. Ray Guerrero (3-for-5), Dung Tenorio (3-for-5), Ben Tagabuel (2-for-4), John Tenorio (2-for-4), Craig Tenorio (1-for-2), and winning pitcher Flores (1-for-2) all finished .500 or better from the plate.

Starting pitcher Ben Duenas took the loss for the Tigers, who were led by the 2-for-4 performances of Manny Tenorio and Jess Mesa. Mesa also recorded the Tigers only two RBIs in the contest. Duenas also did some lifting at the plate, going 2-for-2.