Just4Fun players pose for a group photo along with the championship trophy of the 2024 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association Open League at the Dandan softball field on Sunday.
The Kliq players pose with the second-place trophy of the 2024 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association Open League at the Dandan softball field on Sunday.
JUST4FUN won the 2024 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association Open League championship by defeating The Kliq in a two-game title series at the Dandan softball field on Sunday.
Both teams entered the championship series unscathed, with Just4Fun being considered the underdogs.
But it was Just4Fun that emerged victorious in game 1, outplaying The Kliq, 22-6.
The first two innings went by quickly as both teams showcased their defensive capabilities and allowed no runs to slip by. Then, in the top of the third inning, The Kliq managed to break the silence thanks to the power behind Bear Alvarez’s swing, sending one out of the park and bringing Peter Tenorio and Ping Santos home for a three-run homer.
In the bottom half, Just4Fun showcased their power led by Tony Salas who hit a two-run homer while Brian Camacho, Nate Camacho and Keith Kintol each connected solo homeruns to snatch the lead, 5-3.
The Kliq tried to even the score in the fourth with a single run scored and a solo homerun in the top of the fifth. But Just4Fun unleashed a series of homeruns in the bottom of the fifth and added 10 more runs to maintain the upper hand, 15-5.
The Kliq continued to put up a fight with another solo homer in the top of the sixth courtesy of Thorn Sablan, but they remained ineffective on the defensive end allowing Just4Fun to score seven runs to seal the deal, 22-6.
Game 2
In game 2, with the momentum on their side, Just4Fun quickly established control with seven runs in the top of the opening inning highlighted by the three-run homers of Tony Salas and Jon Flores.
Just4Fun then squeezed in a solo run in the top of the second inning, but The Kliq was not going down without a fight as they countered with five runs in the bottom half to reduce the deficit, 5-8.
However, The Kilq struggled to contain Just4Fun, which proceeded to add more runs en route to a 31-12 victory.
When asked how it feels to finally win a championship, Just4Fun team manager Keith Kintol said, “Feels great. We want to reflect on last year when we came out short. So, this year, we kept it together. The boys were able to get good hits and manufacture some runs.”
He added, “We already knew, coming in, that The Kliq was a good team. We just had to be ahead and stay in front or work twice as hard just to overcome the deficit.”
Kintol said “every Sunday we come out here so we want to thank our other halves, families, and our fans most especially — it takes a lot of time, but we were able to do it collectively throughout the season and as a reward, we are the champions.”
The winners of the individual awards of the 2024 BASA Open League will be featured in the next edition of Variety.
