The Pirates pose for a group photo after securing the pennant following Monday’s game against the Falcons in the 2024 SBL Masters League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
Contributed photo
THE Pirates claimed the SBL Masters League pennant for the second consecutive season after earning their seventh win in a make-up game against the Falcons, 19-1, at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Monday night.
The Pirates managed to set the tone early as they created several scoring opportunities in the top of the opening inning.
Leadoff batter Eric Palacios, who was given a base on balls, caused chaos on the basepaths as he stole second and was then brought home by second batter Mark Toves, who earned an RBI single in the process. Toves then stole third and scored on a hit from Audie Maratita, followed by three more runs to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom half, the Falcons’ Mario Aguon reached third base, but they were retired for the third out before they could score a run.
Riding the momentum, the Pirates added five more runs in the top of the second inning, with Pete Sablan stealing the spotlight with a two-RBI triple. Meanwhile, the Falcons remained scoreless, trailing 10-0.
The third inning solidified the Pirates’ lead as the rest of the team joined the highlight reel. Pete Tomokane kept the momentum going with an RBI double, followed by Audie Maratita with a two-RBI single, Derek Sasamoto with a two-RBI triple, and Mark Toves with another two-RBI single. The Pirates added nine runs in the inning, extending their lead to 19-0.
Facing an inevitable defeat, the Falcons still put up a fight, earning a run in the fourth inning to finally silence the Pirates. However, due to the 10-run mercy rule, the game ended after four innings only, with the final score 19-1.
