By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

DEFENDING champions the Budweiser Kings and the Tanapag Falcons slugged it out for about five hours before the former pulled off a 14-13 win in 12 innings last Monday in the 2007 Budweiser Saipan Major League baseball tournament at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.
Dane Lizama scored the winning run on a Roy Celis RBI at the bottom of the last inning to give the Bud Kings their third win in as many games.
The defending champions were coming off a 36-0 demolition of the Korean Jaguars last Friday, but against the Falcons, the Bud Kings were forced to play in three extra innings and finished the game past 10 p.m. last Monday to maintain their perfect record.
The Falcons, who won their debut against the Young Guns last Wednesday, 8-7, were eyeing to break the deadlock, 13-all, at the top of the 12th inning to put pressure on the home team.
But Bud Kings’ pitcher Kolani Castro, who was the fifth pitcher the defending champions used in the game, struck out the Falcons first two batters.
The Falcons lost their chance to break the deadlock when leftfielder JR Suel was beaten to first base after Bud Kings’ shortstop Jerome Delos Santos picked up the ball and threw it to Jon Delos Santos.
The Bud Kings needed only one run to wrap up the match and Lizama and Celis teamed up in the winning play.
Lizama was the leadoff batter and hit a single. He moved to second when Falcons pitcher Bob Magofna walked T. Celis.
T. Celis then stole second base, while Lizama advanced to third.
But despite having runners on second and third bases, the Bud Kings failed to score when their next two batters were thrown out. Jon Delos Santos was flied out on centerfield, while Magofna struck out Tim Mafnas for the second out.
Roy Celis stepped at the plate and hit a single driving Dane Lizama home for the winning run.
Before his singles at the bottom of the 12th, Roy Celis was only 2-for-5 at the plate. He finished the game with two singles, a double, two walks and an RBI.
Dane Lizama went 4-for-7 with two singles, a double, a triple and two runs.
The defending champions controlled the game in the first six innings leading by four, 9-5.
But the Falcons worked their way back into the game and tied the match scoring eight runs at the top of the seventh inning, 13-all.
JD Dikito had two RBIs at the top of the seventh, as he hit a triple driving Ned and J. Norita home.
But that was the closest that the Falcons could get, as the Bud Kings defense hold off blanking the former in the last five innings.