By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

IN one of the closest games that the Speedos have had all year the underlying problem of errors remained giving the Cougars their fifth win on the season and moving them into a tie for second with the Pepsi Giants both teams only a half game off the leading 5-1 Greyhounds.
The game would begin shaky for the Speedos allowing Gerald Santos to reach base on an error. Santos would then score on an RBI hit by the Cougars’ left-fielder Rick Cruz giving the Cougars a 1 – 0 lead after one half inning of play.
Cougars’ pitcher Darryle Masnayon would prove to be tough going six complete innings giving up only one run on six hits, six strikeouts and three walks getting the win. In the top of the third inning the Cougars would add two more runs when Eloy Fujikawa and Gene McDonald would both reach errors.
Fujikawa would score on a sac fly to center by Rick Cruz and McDonald would score on a throwing error by the Speedos catcher, giving the Cougars a 3 – 0 lead. The Speedos would score their first run in the fifth inning when Alik George would reach on an error and later be brought home on a single by Steve Waguk, bringing the game to 3 – 1 after five complete innings of play.
The Cougars however, would put another two runs on the board in the top of the sixth on two run single to left by Lynwood Baker scoring both Felix Camacho and Pete Castro. The score after five and a half innings would be 5 – 1 in the Cougars favor. Neither team would score in the seventh inning, but both would score in the eighth.
First the Cougars would add two runs in the top of the eighth with Rick Cruz reaching first on an error, moving to second on a wild pick off attempt, stealing third and then an error by the Speedos third baseman would score Cruz and Stan Walton who would walk in his appearance at the plate giving the Cougars a commanding 7 – 1 lead going into the bottom of the eighth. The Speedos would score a run of their own however after Steve Waguk would reach on an error and later score on an error both by the Cougars’ third baseman giving the Speedos some hope going into the ninth inning down 7 – 2.
The Cougars would once again add to their lead in the top of the ninth scoring one run after a lead off triple by the designated hitter Eloy Fujikawa and a sac fly by Gerald Santos. As the Speedos went into their last at bats down by seven the shortstop Bradley Jonah would single to left Milson Szeymour would follow by reaching on an error.
Both Jonah and Szeymour would advance on a wild pitch and with no outs James George would deliver a two run single but would be caught trying to stretch it into a double. Then the Cougars’ closer Luke Mosely would tighten up striking out Alik George for the second out. Lorenty Lorenzo would then reach on a walk, steal second, but would be caught stealing third for the final out of the game.
The loss drops the Speedos to 0 – 8 on the season. Thursday April 12th will showcase the 4 – 3 Atkins Kroll Islanders taking on the 1 – 6 Palau Stingers at 7:00 pm at the Paseo Stadium and the first 200 fans into the park will receive a free 2-Liter bottle of 7up.
On Friday join the 4 – 2 Bank of Guam Athletics as they take on the 0 – 8 Kosrae Speedos in a match up that can move the Athletics into a tie for second place. The first 200 fans into the game will receive a 2-Liter bottle of Pepsi. And on Sunday the first place 5 – 1 Guam Greyhounds will take on the second place 5 – 2 Pepsi Giants as the Giants try and move into the first place position. The first 100 fans in will receive a free Pepsi Umbrella.