Cardinals’ Juan Tenorio Jr. hits a single during a game in the 2025 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
THE Cardinals continue to flex their offensive muscle late in the regular season of the 2025 Saipan Baseball League, defeating the Natives 17–8 in a slugfest filled with big innings, clutch hitting, and relentless pressure at the plate on Friday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The Cardinals wasted no time setting the tone, plating one run in the top of the opening inning as Nokki Saralu capitalized on a defensive miscommunication to slip home for a 1-0 lead.
The Natives, however, responded fiercely in the bottom half, scoring three runs. Cam Towai stole a run, while Chris Meyers and Tim Deleon Guerrero drove in runs with an RBI single and sacrifice fly, respectively, giving the Natives a 3-1 lead.
Despite falling behind early, the Cardinals answered with a four-run rally in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on patient at-bats and Natives’ errors. Saralu led the charge with a single that drove in two RBIs, accompanied by a run scoring on an error and another on a wild pitch. The Natives were held scoreless in the bottom half, allowing the Cardinals to regain control at 5-3.
The back-and-forth battle continued over the next few innings, but the Cardinals’ offense proved too potent as the game progressed.
Every Cardinals starter reached base at least once, with KJ Villagomez and Eli Aughenbaugh joining the hitting parade as the Cardinals scored two runs in the third, five in the fourth, three in the fifth, and two more in the top of the seventh.
On the other side, the Natives added two runs in the third, one in the fourth, and two in the fifth but were held scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings.
By the final out, the Cardinals had scored in six different innings, sealing a statement victory as they continued their climb in the standings. Despite the loss, the Natives showed plenty of fight, proving they can trade blows with the league’s top offenses.
