By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
FRANCISCO “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field witnessed more than three hours of championship action on Sunday with the Fielders outlasting the NSA Braves, 17-9, to claim the Seniors Division title of the 2026 Saipan Little League.
The Braves wasted no time establishing an early advantage in the top of the opening inning. Capitalizing on early opportunities, they advanced runners via walks and plated two quick runs on a 2-RBI single by Zekiel Falig to take a 2-0 lead. They were equally sharp on defense, turning a pickoff and a double play in the bottom half to keep the Fielders scoreless.
Despite the slow start, the Fielders showed no panic. After allowing a run in the top of the second inning, their batting lineup erupted, with aggressive base running and timely hitting from Jesus Santos, Roque Pangelinan, Leighton Tenorio, and Damian Palacios, each driving in a run as the Fielders scored six to take a 6-3 lead.
The Braves responded in the top of the third, capitalizing on defensive miscues to push across another run. The Fielders answered with two runs from Bob Schmidt and Santos to extend their lead to 8-4.
In the fourth inning, tensions escalated after several calls by the umpire, resulting in both head coaches being ejected. Play later resumed.
The Braves mounted their strongest rally in the fifth inning, finding gaps in the Fielders’ defense to score four runs and cut into the deficit. However, the Fielders answered immediately with four runs of their own to restore control at 12-8.
The Braves added one more run in the top of the sixth, but the Fielders sealed the victory with a dominant finish, scoring five runs across the final innings to secure the 17-9 win and the Seniors Division championship.
The Fielders’ roster includes Roque Pangelinan, Leighton Tenorio, Damian Palacios, Kaylen Lizama, Joel Cabrera, Caleb Cabrera, Nick Sablan, Bob Schmidt, Tyrese Monkeya, Ben Deleon Guerrero, Jesus Santos, and David Camacho.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
