By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
IT was a classic baseball battle of resilience and late-game heroics during the CNMI Majors All-Star Team’s debut in the 2026 Little League Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Tournament at Hwaseong Dream Park in South Korea, but the Commonwealth ultimately fell short, dropping a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to New Zealand on Sunday.
CNMI wasted no time setting the tone early in the game. Showcasing disciplined plate appearances and aggressive base running, they manufactured single runs in the top of the first and second innings to establish an early 2-0 lead.
Deleon Guerrero led the charge in the field and at the plate, along with J. McDonald, who put pressure on the New Zealand defense, while K. Torres and E. Pelisamen anchored the middle of the lineup.
After a scoreless third inning, CNMI extended its advantage in the top of the fourth, crossing the plate twice for a commanding 4-0 lead.
At that moment, momentum was entirely on the side of the Marianas — until it quickly shifted.
With its backs against the wall in the bottom of the fourth inning, New Zealand came alive. Capitalizing on a couple of defensive miscues and timely hitting from the core of its lineup, it roared back with an explosive three-run rally to cut the deficit to 4-3.
CNMI struggled to recover from the momentum swing as New Zealand continued to build pressure, eventually adding another run to tie the game at 4-4 and set the stage for a dramatic final inning.
In the top of the sixth, CNMI fought hard to reclaim the lead but went scoreless, leaving the door open for New Zealand. In the bottom half, New Zealand scratched across the winning run to complete the comeback and secure a 5-4 victory.
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.
