By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
AGAINST all odds, including the weather and a relentless opponent, Skoba captured its third consecutive championship title after defeating Mamaaw in a winner-takes-all finale at the 3rd Annual CNMI Softball Tournament on Sunday night at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The double-elimination tournament featured 11 competitive teams, but the weekend ultimately came down to the rivalry between Skoba and Mamaaw.
Skoba looked unfazed in the winner’s bracket, cruising into the finals undefeated. Mamaaw, on the other hand, battled its way out of the loser’s bracket with an impressive string of victories to force its way back into championship contention, setting up a rematch with Skoba in the final round.
In Game 1 of the championship series on Sunday, Mamaaw kept its momentum alive, playing aggressively and keeping Skoba on the defensive throughout much of the contest.
Skoba struck first, with Ben driving in the game’s opening run on a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Brian to score before Mamaaw recorded the third out. In the bottom half of the inning, Mamaaw responded immediately. Rosek delivered a sacrifice fly to bring in King, and Jus followed with an RBI single that scored Ze, giving Mamaaw a 2-1 lead after the first inning.
Riding that momentum, Mamaaw tightened its defensive coverage in the second inning, holding Skoba scoreless. In the bottom half, Mamaaw broke the game open with four consecutive runs, highlighted by a two-RBI single from pitcher Beef, extending the lead to 6-1.
Despite the deficit, Skoba refused to back down. It held Mamaaw scoreless over the next three innings while slowly chipping away at the lead. Jordan drove in a run with an RBI single in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-2.
Skoba added two more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but Mamaaw held on by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth, sealing an 8-4 victory and forcing a deciding Game 2.
The finale
With everything on the line, the final game turned into a defensive showcase. Both teams were clearly running on empty after a grueling weekend, but neither side showed any drop in intensity.
Skoba struck first with a solo home run by Brian in the bottom of the opening inning. Mamaaw’s Benen responded with a two-RBI triple in the top of the second, but Skoba answered back when Nokki drove in an RBI single in the bottom half to tie the game at 2-2.
Mamaaw once again showed the resilience that carried it through the loser’s bracket, as Rosek delivered another two-RBI single to keep it in front. However, Skoba held firm, shutting down Mamaaw in the fourth and fifth innings while adding runs of its own in the third and fifth to tie the game again at 4-4.
Mamaaw regained control in the sixth inning on a two-RBI triple by Tan Ko, but Skoba responded yet again, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to even the score at 6-6 and force extra innings.
In the eighth, Mamaaw scratched across a run at the top of the inning, hoping to finally put the game away. But Skoba answered once more. In the bottom half, Eli delivered an RBI double to score Teno and tie the game again at 7-7.
The next batter, Ben, followed with a double, and Keith drew a walk to load the bases. With Brian stepping into the box, he connected on a deep drive that nearly cleared the fence but dropped just in front of it, allowing Eli to score the walk-off run and secure an 8-7 victory — and the three-peat — for Skoba.
“We always put up a good fight; we try our best,” said Skoba’s Anthony Salas. “We played a good team in Mamaaw. They pushed us to the ‘if’ game, and they battled hard. Big ups to them for always playing hard.”
Salas credited the team’s chemistry as a key factor in their success, noting that the core group has played together since the tournament began three years ago.
“I think it’s because we all play together so much and we know each other well. The chemistry is really strong,” he said. “The biggest thing is we have a good time doing it and we enjoy the game.”
He also reflected on the importance of the tournament following the impact of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
“It’s great. It’s nice to see the smiles and the kids playing carefree. It’s awesome,” Salas said.
While the action on the field was intense, organizers said the true success of the weekend happened off the field. Originally scheduled as a traditional Labor Day holiday tournament, the event was moved to Memorial Day weekend following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
In response, the tournament was transformed into a donation drive. Players and spectators contributed large amounts of canned goods and clothing to support local relief efforts and shelters.
“It was very successful,” Salas said. “We had big plans and more off-island teams scheduled, but due to the tragedy here, it was smaller. Still, I’m glad teams came out to play. We turned this into a donation drive to give back as much as we could. We collected a lot of clothes and canned food, and we’ll figure out the best way to distribute them to those in need.”
He also expressed gratitude to organizers, sponsors, and volunteers.
“Super grateful for the committee for their hard work, early mornings and late nights, and all the planning,” he said. “To our sponsors and everyone who donated—thank you. And to all the teams for being patient through the rain. We’re going to run it back again next year.”
Coverage of the women’s division finale will appear in the next edition of Variety.
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.
