By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Falcons secured a hard-fought victory against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, 8-6, but the game will be remembered for a baffling sequence of base-running blunders in the top of the ninth inning that ultimately cost the Blue Jays a chance to stay alive as the Falcons advanced to the championship finale of the 2025 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The game began as a pitcher’s duel, though neither starter was able to completely shut down the opposition. The Falcons took the lead early, scoring a run off an error for a 1-0 advantage after the first inning.
After a scoreless second inning, the Blue Jays responded when lead-off batter Derek Sasamoto scored on a passed ball to even the game, 1-1.
The score remained tied until the top of the fifth inning, when the Blue Jays gained a slight edge on Mark Villgomez’s RBI single, and added two more runs in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 4-1.
However, in the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons found their second wind with a series of singles that brought in six runs — five earned and one unearned — to snatch the lead.
The Blue Jays tried to close the gap, scoring a run in the top of the eighth, but the Falcons answered in the bottom half with a single run to maintain an 8-5 lead.
Entering the top of the ninth, tension filled the air. The Blue Jays put runners on second and third base and seemed poised to mount a rally. However, a series of costly base-running mistakes ended their chances. Several runners, attempting aggressive advances, were tagged out or picked off, sealing the Falcons’ victory, 8-6.
The night ended with the Falcons advancing to the best-of-three championship series against the Cardinals, which begins Monday night.
On Tuesday night, the Cardinals secured their place in the finals with a 14-0 win over the Bears.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
