By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

WITH the win on Friday night over the 0-11 Speedos the AK Islanders move to within a half game of first place in the Budweiser Baseball League. The Islanders who are 7-3 trail the Bank of Guam Athletics, Pepsi Giants, and the Guam Greyhounds all with a record of 7-2.
The win would go to Terrell Russell who would pitch five complete innings not allowing a single earned run and only giving up one hit on four strikeouts. The loss was given to Speedos pitcher Aliksa Robert who went two and one-third innings giving up nine earned runs on ten hits as the Speedos fell 12-1 in only seven innings.
The game would start relatively slow with neither team scoring in the first inning. In the top of the second however, the Islanders would put their first run on the board when Paul Untalan led off the inning with a stand up double and would then score on an RBI single by the designated hitter Tommy Duenas.
Russell would dominate for the Islanders as he retired the first nine batters he faced. In the top of the third innings the Islanders would blow the doors wide open scoring nine runs on nine hits. The inning would begin with Scott Deloera reaching on an error.
Second base--man Dominic Cruz would then follow with a single. With two on and no outs Pat Alvarez would clear the bases with a 2-run double scoring both Deloera and Cruz. Tommy Morrison would then switch places with Alvarez as he doubled. After JQ Quintanilla reached on an error placing runners at the corners, the Islanders would hit three straight singles.
Eddie Muna would single in Morrison, followed by another RBI for Tommy Duenas as he drove in Quintanilla. Jim Mafnas would then also single bringing in Muna. And with one out and two runners the Speedos would bring in James George to face Scott Deloera. Deloera would triple bringing in both Duenas and Mafnas. After a groundout and a walk Tommy Morrison would deliver his second RBI of the game with an RBI single bringing in Deloera. Paul Untalan would then pop out to third ending the inning.
The damage had been done though however with the Islanders pushing their lead to 10-0 after two and a half innings of play. The Speedos would fail to score in the third or the fourth allowing the Islanders to keep their 10-0 lead after four complete innings of play. Both teams would score in the fifth inning however.
The fifth would begin with the Islanders’ Jim Mafnas singling to center. Mafnas would then come around to score on an error. The Speedos would then put their first run on the board when Noel Mike drew a walk then stole second and would then score on an error bringing the score to 11-1 after five complete innings of play.
The Islanders would once again add to their lead in the top of the sixth when JQ Quintanilla led off with a single and would then come around to score on the third RBI hit by Scott Deloera as he singled. The Speedos would fail to score in the last two innings giving the win to the Islanders in seven innings courtesy of the mercy rule.
The Islanders were led by Scott Deloera who went 2 for 5 with a single, triple, three RBI, and two runs scored. Tommy Duenas would also show up big for the Islanders going 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored.