By Jonathan V. Perez
Variety News Staff

MEL Sakisat, Jovie Omar and Francis George blasted home runs to help the Wells Fargo-No Ka Oi Wranglers win the 5th Annual NMI Crime Stoppers Softball Tournament yesterday at the DanDan Elementary School Ballfield.
The Wranglers defeated a hard-fighting No Zone, 11-8, in the finals to bag their first title this year as the team formerly known as No Ka Oi poised themselves to collect more tournament titles in 2007.
It was the fourth title in five years for the Wranglers and the third straight. They won the inaugural staging of the tournament in 2003.
Team Brotherhood won the title in 2004 and No Ka Oi returned to the winners’ podium in 2005.
Team No Ka Oi, supported by Wells Fargo, changed their name to the Wranglers but not the core of the team to claim the 2006 crown.
Sakisat started the hitting barrage in the bottom of the first and belted a two-run home run to trim No Zone’s early 4-0 lead.
Omar followed suit in the fourth with another two-run shot that shattered a 5-5 count and swung the momentum back to the Wranglers.
Omar’s home run was also a record in the five-year history of the tournament as she became the first female participant to hit a round-tripper.
And with No Zone threatening at 8-7, George was there to bail his team out of trouble with a longball of his own in the bottom of the sixth.
No Zone had a last chance to send the game into extra innings or win it in the top of the seventh.
Thelma Mizer led off for No Zone and flied out to left field with George making the catch for the first out.
Manny Sablan followed hitting a solo four-bagger to cut the Wranglers’ lead.
Jonathan Delos Santos had a double to give his team the chance to move even closer.
But the Wranglers’ defense ended their comeback bid when George caught John Diaz’ fly-ball and Nick Guerrero flied-out to right field that started the celebration for the Wells Fargo backed squad.
The Wranglers won all their four games while No Zone lost twice to the same team. They first suffered an 8-6 defeat in the elimination round.
George, Omar and Sakisat went 2-for-3 in the game.
Natibu placed third while Team Para finished fourth in the three-day tournament.
Other squads that competed were Potbus, DFS, Sofang, Buntalan, Team Nang, PIC, Go For Broke and LaoLao.
The champion Wranglers earned $200 cash, a trophy, medals, baseball bags, a case of ribs and chicken, three cases of drinks and a 50-pound bag of rice.
No Zone got $150, a trophy, a 50-pound bag of rice, a case of spareribs, two cases of drinks and baseball bags.
The third and fourth place teams got $100 and $50 cash, trophies, and two cases of drinks.
Organizers thanked the teams that participated and the companies that helped them run the fundraising tournament.