By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
THE CNMI Majors All-Star Team faced a formidable challenge on Tuesday morning, falling 12-0 to host South Korea in the 2026 Little League Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Tournament at Hwaseong Dream Park in South Korea.
The game proved to be a tough defensive test for CNMI, which is navigating a highly competitive regional field.
South Korea wasted no time establishing control, striking early in the bottom of the first inning with two runs to build a 2-0 cushion.
After a quiet second inning in which both teams were held scoreless, the Korean offense ignited again, adding three runs in the third before breaking the game open in the fourth with a seven-run rally to extend the lead to 12-0.
The CNMI lineup struggled to find gaps against South Korea’s dominant pitching staff. Despite the difficult circumstances, CNMI avoided a no-hitter by recording one hit on the day. The team continued to battle through five innings before the 10-run mercy rule brought the game to an early conclusion.
The setback drops CNMI’s tournament record to 1-2 after a 5-4 win over Indonesia earlier in the week and a 4-5 loss to New Zealand on Sunday.
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.
