IN a battle between two winless teams, it was the Blue Shark that smelled blood in the ocean as they chomped down on the Phillies, 10-9, during Thursday’s game in the 2025 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The game began with the Phillies controlling the pace.
They played with patience, scoring their first run off a walk, followed by wild pitches and defensive errors that allowed three more runs to cross the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, the Phillies quickly shut down the Blue Shark with three outs to hold a 4-0 lead.
The Phillies continued to extend their lead with three more runs in the top of the second inning — highlighted by Johnas Delos Reyes’ two-RBI double. He was later brought home by TJ Sablan’s sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 7-0.
The Blue Shark finally got on the board in the bottom half, scoring a solo run off an error to make it 7-1.
Despite their efforts, the Blue Shark were held scoreless over the next two innings, while the Phillies added two more runs to push their advantage to 9-1.
However, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Blue Shark’s comeback began with a three-run rally. Austin Masga contributed with an RBI single, followed by another RBI from Orren Cruz, and a third run scored on an error to cut the deficit to 9-4.
After holding the Phillies scoreless in the top half of the seventh and final inning, the Blue Shark kept their rally alive in the bottom frame. Two runs scored off fielding errors, followed by a two-RBI single by Cruz that brought home Kier Agda and McGuire Lyeker, narrowing the gap to 9-8.
Jobe Reyes then tied the game with an RBI triple and later scored the winning run on a defensive error, sealing a dramatic 10-9 walk-off victory and giving the Blue Shark their first win of the season.
The Phillies’ TJ Sablan slides his way home for an earned run against the Blue Shark during a 2025 Saipan Baseball League game at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Thursday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
The Blue Shark’s Ignacio Palacios connects a single against the Phillies during a 2025 Saipan Baseball League game at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Thursday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
