By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE SAIPANCELL Patriots and Mobil Kagman Aztecs kept their places at the top of the team standings in the Majors division, while the Tanapag Braves and the Bank of Saipan Red Sox are catching up with the leaders after last Saturday’s games in the 2007 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.
The Patriots opened last Saturday’s four-game schedule and ended the match quickly with a 10-0 win over the Chalan Kanoo Bears.
Brian Camacho pitched in no relief for the Patriots in four innings allowing no hits and walking one. He had nine strikeouts.
It was the Patriots 11th win in as many games, while the Bears dropped to a 3-4 record.
In the second match, the Aztecs also had an easy time against the Pirates notching an 18-4 victory after only four innings.
The Pirates stunned the Aztecs in the early part of the game taking a 4-0 lead after the first complete inning.
But that was the last time that the Pirates led, as pitcher Ricardo Dela Cruz got down to business and the Aztecs defense tightened up in the last three innings shutting out the Pirates.
Dela Cruz had seven strikeouts allowing only two hits and walking one.
Russel Hocog went 3-for-3 for the Aztecs with three runs, two singles and a triple.
With the victory, the Aztecs kept the second spot in the team standings improving their record to 8-1. The Pirates absorbed their fifth loss in 11 matches.
In the third game, The Red Sox clobbered the Jets, 19-1.
A seven-run first inning was enough for the Red Sox to nail their fourth win in eight games. The Jets scored one run in the first inning and were shutout in the last three innings.
The Jets remain winless in 10 games.
Catcher Clayton Camacho led the Red Sox attack going 3-for-4. He had two inside-the-park homers, a run and a triple. Shortstop Thomas Reyes and first baseman Nathan Sablan had one homer apiece.
In the last game, the Braves extended their winning run to five after downing McDonald’s 15-7.
The Braves saved the best for last scoring seven runs at the top of the sixth and played tough defense at the bottom to improve their record to 8-2.
The Braves were only leading by one, 8-7, at the end of the fifth inning when Frankie Lieto’s inside-the-park homer sparked a Braves’ scoring run.
Lieto’s homer brought four Braves runners home and at the end of the top of the sixth, the Braves were leading by eight, 15-7.
The score did not change at the bottom of the sixth, as McDonald’s failed to score.
McDonald’s first two battes Pedro Tenorio and Herman Guerrero were beaten to first base. Third batter Patrick Tenorio kept McDonald’ hopes alive when he hit a single.
But he was left stranded on first base when second baseman Collin Kautz was beaten to first base.
McDonald’s dropped to a 5-4 slate.