The Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. today will decide which of the two teams will advance to this year’s SML championship.
The D9ers who crept back to secure a slot in the playoffs faced pennant champion Rock Steady last night for Game 1 of best-of-three.
As of 7:25 p.m., the Rock Steady was leading in the bottom of the fourth inning, 4-2.
A lengthy voyage was all about survival for the Falcons who lost Game 1 on Wednesday last week when Sill Clifton’s base hit off Darson Camacho helped Rangers win, 6-5.
Manny Evangelista hit three RBIs including a sacrifice fly driving Henry Iguel home in the decisive bottom of the seventh inning. He went 1-for-2.
BJ Sablan who was 3-for-5 hit a double in the eighth inning to let Jay Camacho score the winning run.
Jess Taitano held the Rangers scoreless in the second inning and continued pitching scoreless fourth to sixth inning.
He struck out one, walked four and gave up nine hits.
Rangers’ pitcher, Mel Sakisat held the Falcons scoreless in the first inning, and Ben Benwachi hit a two-run single to take the early lead.
Benwachi hit six RBIs and went 4-for-5 as he tripled once and hit one double.
Taitano shutdown Rangers in the top of the second inning as Evangelista drove in a two-run single and Henry Iguel, JD Dikito and Mike Pangelinan added three run-scoring singles.
Taitano struck out Clifton in the top of the fourth inning.
Rangers’ short stop Pete Tomokane erred four times in the fourth inning allowing the Falcons to score four runs, as JR Suel who went 3-for-5 hit a single.
Tomokane singled Sablan to home base but Evangelista responded with a go-ahead single sending Henry Iguel to score a run.
Iguel went 2-for-5 and hit an RBI, Ken Kalen went 1-for-4 and added an RBI single.
Camacho struck out one and walked three and Pete Teguta who relieved him walked two.
