THE Braves were named senior division champions of the 2025 Saipan Little League Baseball after narrowly defeating the Comets 7-6 at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Saturday.
The Comets controlled the early portion of the game. Their defensive awareness shone in the bottom of the first, allowing only one hit while recording three outs with two runners left on base. Offensively, they capitalized on Braves’ miscues, loading the bases with several walks and scoring four runs, led by RBI singles from Javen Camacho and Dylan Lieto, to take a 4-0 lead.
Despite the rough start, the Braves began their comeback with an earned run from Peter Camacho’s RBI single. In the top half of the inning, Herman Iguel struck out three Comets consecutively to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Over the next two innings, the Braves held strong defensively, allowing no runs. Offensively, they scored two runs on Comets’ errors, closing the gap to 4-3 after four innings.
The Comets responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to regain the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the Braves capitalized on their momentum, scoring three runs — including an RBI single by Abraham Falig and two runs on errors — to tie the game at 6-6.
In the sixth inning, the Braves took the lead again when a Comets wild pitch allowed Braves’ Justin Garde to steal home, making it 7-6.
The Comets had one last chance to rally in the top of the seventh, but the Braves closed out the game with a flyout followed by a double play, securing the 7-6 victory and the senior division championship.
The Braves’ Justin Garde slides home in time to beat the pickoff attempt against the Comets during the Saipan Little League Baseball senior division title game at Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The Braves’ Benigno Sablan pitches during the Saipan Little League Baseball senior division title game against the Comets at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
