Enforcers, Braves prevail in Junior League; Falcons soar

The Falcons’ Tindin Deleon Guerrero waits for the pitch during the top of the sixth inning of their game against the Blue Jays in the Senior League division of the 2017 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Enforcers and Braves won their respective games in the Jenior League division of the 2017 Saipan Little League Baseball last Saturday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The Enforcers played in the curtain-raiser and triumphed in a high-scoring game against Bank of Saipan, 17-10.

Terrence Babauta lifted the Enforcers to victory as his grand slam at the top of the fourth inning allowed the Enforcers to overhaul a 1-6 deficit and grab the lead, 9-6. The Enforcers made eight runs in the pivotal inning, three more off earned ones and one from a passed ball. Babauta’s grand slam came after he flied out to center field in his first at bat.

After taking the lead, the Enforcers hung on, as they also scored in the last three innings, while holding Bank of Saipan to two and scoreless in the sixth and seventh. The Enforcers forced Bank of Saipan to 1-2-3 innings in the last two frames and closer Sean Rabauliman gave up only one hit and struck out three in that shutdown.

The pitcher also scored three runs, while catcher Tom Agulto made four and was 3-for-5 at bat and tallied one RBI. Justin Agulto, Jonathan Santos, Donovan Guerrero, and Minko Taimanao contributed two runs each.

Joven Reyes had four runs on a losing cause for Bank of Saipan and he went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Devon Pangelinan was 3-for-4, but had no runs.

In the other Junior League match, the Braves topped the Falcons, 8-4.

The Braves combined for seven runs in the fourth and fifth inning to bounce back after trailing by 3, 1-4, in the first three innings.

The Braves got four runs off two wild pitches and the Falcons’ errors at shortstop at the bottom of the fourth, while the former’s three runs in the fifth were earned ones as they took the driver’s seat, 8-4, and never relinquished it.

The Falcons failed to regain the upper hand as they were silent in the last four innings after a four-run top of the third. JP Celis grounded the Falcons, as he took over the mound at the start of the fourth inning and yielded only two hits and fanned out five batters. Celis, who relieved V.J. Igitol, forced the Falcons to 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and sixth and then stranded a runner at third base in the final inning when he got the last strikeout.

Meanwhile, the Falcons won the lone Senior League game last Saturday after outclassing the Blue Jays, 7-2.

The Falcons, after going scoreless in the first three innings, found their target in the last four to beat the Blue Jays, who made it to the board only twice (first and seventh innings. The Falcons capitalized on the Blue Jays errors after recording five of their runs off the latter’s defensive miscues.