By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

A Tanapag Falcons’ 10-run ninth inning spoiled the Korean Jaguars’ celebration last Friday in the 2007 Budweiser Saipan Major League baseball tournament at the Francisco "Tan Ge" Palacios Ballfield.
The Jaguars reported to the game with a 0-7 record and seemed headed for their first win when they took a 14-4 lead after the top of the ninth inning.
But the Falcons had yet to wave the white flag and let the Jaguars enter the win column.
The Falcons first three batters scored on JR Suel and Mario Aguon RBIs. The next three batters also reached homeplate on a Ned Norita homer to move the Falcons within two, 12-14.
The Jaguars temporarily stopped the Falcons rally, as BJ Sablan was beaten to first base for the first out.
Sato Manalo, who hit a single, stole second and third bases and then reached homeplate on a Jaguars passing error. Bill Camacho scored his second run in the ninth inning taking advantage of another Jaguars’ error to tie the game at 14-all.
JR Suel flied out to centerfield for the second out, while Mike Pangelinan was next at bat and moved to first after being hit by a pitch. JD Dikito moved to first on a Jaguars’ error advancing M. Pangelinan to second.
Jordan Reyes, who replaced Shane Mendiola on the mound after Norita’s homer, walked Henry I.
Norita positioned himself at the plate to bat for the second time in the ninth inning and ended the match after hitting a single driving Pangelinan home.
Norita, who relieved Taitano at the bottom of the sixth inning, went 4-for-4 with two runs, a homer, three singles and five RBIs.
The win improved the Falcons record to 4-3 tying the Ford Rangers in second place. The defending champion Bud Kings lead the league with an unbeaten 7-0 record.
BJ Sablan was only 2-for-5 against the Jaguars, but it was enough to keep him at the top of the batting race.
After last Friday’s game, Sablan was 18-for-31 at the plate for a .581 batting average.
The Bud Kings’ Dane Lizama is currently in second place with a .529 average going 18-for-34, followed by teammate Jerome Delos Santos and the Falcons’ Norita and JR. Suel.
Rounding out the top 10 were the Falcons’ Pangelinan, the Kings’ Tony Celis, the Falcons’ Bill Camacho, the Young Guns’ Maynard San Nicolas and the Masters’ Tony Camacho.
In the pitching race, the Bud Kings’ John Mafnas replaced the Rangers’ Franco Flores in the No. 1 spot. Mafnas posted a 0.86 ERA compared to Flores’ 0.96.
Mafnas has the most strikeouts with 24, while the Masters’ Ben Duenas has 18. Flores has earned 17 strikeouts.