Blue Jays Jr.’s Kody Maratita attempts a swing during a game against the Bears Jr. in the Junior Division of the 2025 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Saturday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
Bears Jr.’s Charles Molina pitches against the Blue Jays Jr. during a game in the Junior Division of the 2025 Saipan Little League Baseball at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Saturday.
THE Blue Jays Jr. earned their first win in the Junior Division of the 2025 Saipan Little League Baseball by fending off the Bears Jr., 12-11, at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Saturday.
The Blue Jays Jr. had an explosive start. The bases quickly filled as the first two batters, Gonshiro Sasamoto and Kody Maratita, reached base on balls and advanced further with stolen bases whenever they saw an opportunity.
The Bear Jr.’s pitcher struggled finding the strike zone and advanced another batter to load the bases.
The fifth batter in the lineup, Ethan Dikito, capitalized on the scoring opportunity with a double, driving in two RBIs to give the Blue Jays Jr. an early lead. The scoring didn’t stop there, as six more runs followed, highlighted by Maratita’s two-RBI double to widen the gap.
The Bears Jr. fought to stay in the game but were limited to just three runs, keeping the score within reach at 9-3.
The Bears Jr. eventually found their rhythm on defense with a pickoff at first base followed by two strikeouts. In the bottom half, they rallied for six runs, tying the game for the first time at 9-9.
In the third inning, the Blue Jays Jr. regained the lead, scoring two runs off errors, while the Bears Jr. were held scoreless in the bottom half, trailing 11-9.
The Blue Jays Jr. tried to secure the win in the fourth and final inning but were limited to just one run. In the bottom half, the Bears Jr. scored two runs and had a scoring opportunity with a runner on third base. However, Blue Jays Jr. pitcher Jarell Herman rose to the occasion, striking out two batters to seal the victory for his team, 12-11.
Joining the celebration were the Tanapag Brewers Sr., who outhustled the Comets Sr., 11-7.
