Rangers shock Rock Steady, take Game 1

Rock Steady’s undefeated season is no more thanks to Pete Tomokane’s clutch hitting, as the Ford Rangers took Game 1 of their best-of-five championship series in the 2008 Budweiser Saipan Major League, 15-10, Monday night at the Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field.

Tomakane gave the Joeten Motors-sponsored team some leg room right from the first inning, as the slugging third baseman hit a home run against Rock Steady ace Jonathan Camacho to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead.

After Rock Steady made two home plate crossings of its own in the bottom of the first, Tomakane again shook Camacho’s confidence by hitting a two-run single that touched off the Rangers’ six-run, second-inning explosion that staked them to a 9-2 lead.

Rock Steady put a dent on the Rangers’ lead as Tyrone Omar, Dane Lizama, and Manny Sablan accounted for three runs batted in to make it 5-9.

Vince Sablan then took over from Camacho at the start of the third and had three quick outs to make the game interesting. Rock Steady tucked in a run in the bottom of the inning to make it a three-run contest, 9-6.

Rangers, however, pelted Sablan with two more hits in the fourth as Jesus Iguel and Robert Bansil crossed home plate, respectively, on a sacrifice fly by Sanchez and an error by Rock Steady’s Nick San Nicolas to pad their lead to 11-6.

Both camps were quiet in the next two innings before Rock Steady exploded for three runs in the bottom of the sixth, which saw Lizama, Manny Sablan, and San Nicolas score three runners to keep the game close at 11-9.

That was as close as the erstwhile undefeated team would come to the Rangers’ lead though as home run king Benwachi Taiscan scored Robert Bansil and Tomokane made his fifth RBI of the game when he brought home Sanchez in the top of the seventh.

While Rock Steady made it 10-13 when Omar scored on a Lizama single, Rangers put the game away with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth and reliever Sanchez finished what starting pitcher Mel Sakisat started when he stranded Rock Steady’s runners in the eighth and ninth innings.

Tomokane finished 2-for-4 from the plate and added three runs to his five RBIs. Taisacan also was his usual self, going 3-for-4 with a run batted in.

Sakisat took the win after pitching five strong innings and recording two strikeouts. He allowed 11 hits and nine runs and walked three.

Lizama sparkled in the loss for Rock Steady, finishing 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Manny Sablan and San Nicolas both went 3-for-5 from the plate and also accounted for five RBIs.