By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
TOKAHAO held off Man Amigos, 18–16, in the masters division of the 2026 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association League at the Dandan Ballfield on Sunday.
The action started early.
Man Amigos came out swinging in their first at-bat, with John Reyes drawing first blood by connecting on a two-run home run. Chris Camacho followed with an RBI single to give Man Amigos an early 3-0 lead.
In the bottom half, Tokahao quickly answered with a string of hits. After an early out, the team rallied, sparked by Geoff Cruz’s RBI single. With the bases loaded, Derek Aguon blasted a grand slam to give Tokahao a 5-3 lead.
Through the next three innings, Man Amigos tried to close the gap. Eric Palacios delivered a two-RBI double in the second inning, while Jerry Guerrero added a solo home run in the third. However, Tokahao continued to respond, scoring five runs in the second inning and adding another grand slam — this time from Rob Bansil — in the third.
In the fourth inning, Man Amigos was limited to just one run, while Tokahao added three more, highlighted by Aguon’s two-run homer, stretching the lead to 17-7.
Man Amigos began to claw back in the fifth inning. Benji Tagabuel, James Fleming, and Chris Camacho each drove in a run, while Manny Sablan added a solo home run as part of a five-run inning. They also held Tokahao to just one run in the bottom half.
Sablan continued to lead the comeback effort in the sixth, launching a two-run homer to highlight a three-run rally and cut the deficit to 18-14.
In the seventh and final inning, Man Amigos pushed across two more runs to pull within striking distance. However, Tokahao shut the door with a double play followed by a flyout to left-center field, sealing the 18-16 victory with a runner left on base.
Winners, too
Also picking up wins were Asahi over SUFA, 15-5; Peleliu defeating Chalek Ha, 14-4; Wassup routing Mix Breed, 12-2; and Hagu Lamun outlasting Latte Faya, 12-9.
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.
