By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Natives secured the No. 8 seed in the playoffs of the 2025 Saipan Baseball League after defeating the Phillies, 10-2, in their final regular season game Monday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
Both teams started slow, finishing the top of the opening inning with empty swings and no runs.
The real action began in the second inning.
The Phillies tried to break the ice in the top half as TJ Sablan connected on a single and stole second, while Phil Passi reached first on a walk. However, the rally was cut short as the Natives recorded three quick outs before the Phillies could capitalize.
The momentum shifted in the bottom half. The Phillies’ defense faltered with a series of errors, and the Natives made them pay. Chris Meyers sparked the offense with a single and later scored off Marvin Lee Marvin’s RBI hit. Marvin also came around to score thanks to Larson Sebitang’s RBI, while Tim Deleon Guerrero snuck home amid the chaos. By the end of the inning, the Natives were up, 3-0.
The Phillies couldn’t find their rhythm in the third and fourth innings, while the Natives extended their lead. One run scored in the third on an error, and two more came in the fourth as Barry Ayuyu and Meyers each drove in a run with RBI singles, making it 6-0.
The Phillies finally broke through in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Oscar Stefano, but the Natives quickly answered with two runs in the bottom half to stay firmly in control, 8-1.
The Phillies added another run in the sixth, but once again, the Natives countered with two more in the bottom half to seal the win, 10-2.
With the Phillies unable to rally in the top of the seventh, the Natives walked away victorious and clinched the No. 8 seed heading into the playoffs.
