THE Junior Nationals clinched their fourth win in the 2023 Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League after slipping past the CK Bears, 4-2, Tuesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
It was a tough battle, but the Jr. Nationals managed to draw first blood in the opening inning.
First at bat, Joell Borja, played smart as he picked his swings carefully and ended up walking to first base. Although the CK Bears recovered with two consecutive outs, Achilles Evangelista’s single brought in Borja, earning an RBI and the lead, 1-0.
Out on the field, the Jr. Nationals also excelled as pitcher Angelo Igitol struck out the first two batters followed by another two strikeouts in the bottom of the second inning.
But there were no runs made by teams until the fifth inning when the Jr. Nationals regained momentum and notched three runs.
Borja connected a double and later stole home off an error while Evangelista and Kazu Dela Cruz earned an RBI each via sacrifice fly and a single to stretch the gap.
The CK Bears finally broke their silence in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings with two runs made, but they failed to score in the seventh and final inning allowing the Jr. Nationals to claim victory, 4-2.
The Junior Nationals’ Angelo Igitol pitches against the CK Bears during a Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League game Tuesday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
