By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE Budweiser Bud Kings started their title defense in the 2007 Budweiser Saipan Major League baseball tournament with a bang by whipping last year’s rival the Ford Rangers, 8-1, in the league opener last Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
Jon Camacho pitched in no relief shutting out the Rangers’ batters in the first sixth innings and recording six strikeouts to help the Bud Kings win their early rematch with last year’s runnerup team.
Craig Sanchez, who hit single, scored the Rangers lone run on a Luis Iguel’s sacrifice bunt at the top of the seventh. But last year’s runnersup were shut out anew in the last two innings helping the Bud Kings end the match after only eight and a half innings.
After Sanchez’s run at the top of the seventh and with the defending champions leading, 6-1, the Rangers had the chance to recover when Sanchez stuck out the Bud Kings’ second and third batters at the bottom of the seventh. The defending champions absorbed their first out with the Rangers third baseman Luis Iguel throwing the ball to first baseman JP Flores and beating Bud Kings’ leadoff batter Mark Toves.
But the Rangers were called for two early outs when Felipe Celis forced rightfielder JJ Laniyo and Flores to fly out.
Bill Tagabuel, who was walked by Camacho, was left stranded on first base at the top of the eighth, when Bud Kings’ Tony Celis beat the Rangers’ leftfielder Jon Tenorio on first base.
The Bud Kings scored two runs at the bottom of the eighth for a seven-point lead, 8-1, entering the top of the ninth.
Sanchez was the Rangers’ leadoff batter at the top of the last inning and kept his team’s chances to recover alive when he hit a single. But he was soon out on a fielder’s choice as teammate Iguel moved to first base.
Iguel then stole second base with teammate C. Silil at the plate Silil, who hit a single, also stole second base, while Iguel advanced to third with Mario Sablan at the plate. But Sili and Iguel were left stranded on second and third, respectively, when the Rangers fourth and fifth batters were out.
The Bud Kings pitcher Camacho caught a grounder, threw the ball to first base and beat the Ranger’s Sablan.
The defending champions ended the match when Rangers shortstop Peter Tomokane was beaten on first base.
Jerome Delos Santos led the Bud Kings’ offense going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs one single, one triple and two RBIs.
Lizama also went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI.