By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Cardinals are one step closer to defending their championship title in the 2025 Saipan Baseball League after clinching Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series over the Falcons, 12-6, at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Monday night.
The first half of the ball game was tightly contested as both teams vied for control.
The Cardinals started off with a strong defensive performance as pitcher Bill Camacho struck out the first batter, followed by two pickoffs by second baseman Pat Tenorio to quickly turn over to the bottom half. The momentum continued to grow on the offensive end as leadoff batter Mike Brownstein connected for a double and was later brought home by Nate Camacho, who earned an RBI single to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
The Falcons, however, stayed focused and took flight at the top of the second inning as they capitalized on a handful of errors, which allowed runners to fill the bases and eventually bring in three runs — led by Keahi Manglona with a two-RBI single and Giovanni Mira with an RBI after being hit by a pitch — to move ahead, 3-1.
After a scoreless third inning, the Cardinals managed to push across a solo run via a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fourth, only to be answered by the Falcons with one run of their own in the top of the fifth to maintain a safe distance, 4-2.
But during the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cardinals found their second wind. With each hit, a rally started to brew — beginning with Brian Camacho turning a single into an RBI, followed by two more runs scored off errors before the second out. The Cardinals continued to deliver at the plate, adding four more runs highlighted by RBI singles from Pat Tenorio, Brownstein, and Nate Camacho, while the fourth run came in off a passed ball. The surge gave them the lead and additional momentum, which they built on with another run in the bottom of the seventh to extend their advantage, 10-4.
The Falcons managed to bring in a solo run in the top of the eighth inning, but the Cardinals retaliated with two runs in the bottom half to further solidify their victory.
Although the Falcons had one last chance to make a comeback, they managed only one run in the top of the ninth before the Cardinals collected the three outs needed to seal the win, 12-6.
Game 2 will be played today, Wednesday, Oct. 29, while Game 3 — if needed — will be held on Friday, Oct. 31.
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.
