THE Cardinals secured the remaining championship slot of the 2023 Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League by besting the Brewers, 7-4, Wednesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The Cardinals took flight right from the start as they outed the Brewers’ first three at bat in the opening inning.
The Cardinals’ Gerald Cabrera and Poland Masaharu then brought two runs in with an RBI each to establish control, 2-0.
The Brewers tried to cook up a rally with two of their batters reaching second base, but the Cardinals’ pitcher Nate Guerrero got the third out to end the inning.
The Brewers’ defense was also marred with errors, allowing the Cardinals’ Pat Tenorio and Keoni Kaipat to slip past home.
The Brewers remained scoreless in five innings while Cabrera and Masaharu recorded their second RBI, adding more runs in the bottom of the fifth to further extend their team’s lead, 6-0.
But the Brewers suddenly came alive in the top of the sixth with Franco Nakamura, Byron Kaipat, and Jerome Delos Santos rounding the bases while Shane Mallens kept the fuel burning by slipping an RBI single to cut the Cardinals’ lead, 4-6.
The Brewers’ time in the spotlight was short-lived, however, as they were silenced for the rest of the night by the Cardinals’ defensive coverage with Shane Yamada adding the icing on the cake with a sacrifice fly for the RBI in the bottom of the eighth to seal the deal, 7-4.
The Cardinals will now face the Junior Nationals in the championship.
The Cardinals’ Pat Tenorio celebrates after scoring a run during a Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League game at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
