The Pirates’ Audie Maratita swings for a hit during a game against the Dodgers in the 2024 SBL Masters League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
THE Pirates remain among the top three teams in the 2024 SBL Masters League after slipping past the Dodgers, 11-10, at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Wednesday.
Both teams came out swinging to start the ball game.
The Dodgers were the first to draw blood with Geoffrey “Jeff” Cruz capitalizing off a wild pitch to reach home for a single run scored. The Pirates answered with two runs from Eric Palacios and Pete Tomokane, each notching an RBI single to give their team a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates added a run in the second inning while the Dodgers came up empty although they managed to recover in the top of the third and tie the game
However, they failed to maintain efficiency on the defensive end, committing errors that allowed the Pirates to score seven runs and regain the upper hand, 10-3.
The fight was not over for the Dodgers, however, as they reassessed their defensive approach and succeeded in silencing the Pirates in the fourth and fifth innings.
Then, in the top of the sixth inning, the Dodgers’ late-game rally began with three runs scored courtesy of John Acosta’s two-RBI single. He was later brought home by Nick Reyes’s single, who also earned an RBI single.
The Pirates squeezed in a run in the bottom half, but the Dodgers answered with four more runs — three of which came from errors — to narrow the deficit to just one, 11-10.
The Dodgers still had a chance to even the score, if not take the lead, but the Pirates’ Pete Sablan and John Reyes showcased their defensive skills, securing the three outs needed and leaving two runners on base to clinch the 11-10 victory.
