From the very bottom of the standings in the beginning of the regular season, the Xterminators who used to reign in the Capital Hill Ball Field in the annual coed league kept their grip of the momentum with their usual surge midway to the ball game in each of their winning days in the field.
The champions-turned- underdogs are now in a three-way tie with the Blazers and Go for Broke.
Down by two in the bottom of seventh inning, Jun Taitano hit a double. Poland Masaharu moved him to the scoring position with a single before Dennis Ngeskebei finally drove Taitano in.
Then, Masaharu tied the game by sprinting to the home plate on a catching error near the fence by Go for Broke outfielder, Jonathan Pangelinan before Sablan handed the Xterminators theur 15-14 victory with an RBI single.
Prior to their turn in the batting plate, the Xterminators fielders tightened the defense with John Acosta stranding Pangelinan in the first base by catching George Cruz’ land drive and Billy Sanchez’ fly ball for consecutive two outs.
Second baseman Ngeskebei finally ended Go for Broke’s chance to stretch the lead by catching Carlos Sanchez’s fly ball.
Early in the top of the fifth inning, Alfred Hocog hit a grand slam and George Cruz launched a two-run home run as Go for Broke rallied to take the lead.
Jay Cabrera and Juan Taitano’s two-run home run apiece in the bottom of the fourth sent the Xterminators ahead by seven runs.
San Roque 14, Blazers 11
Trailing by one run, the San Roque fielders held the Blazers scoreless in the last two innings, then, took the batting plate to fire base hits and claimed their eighth win.
From a four-run deficit, San Roque rallied in the bottom of the fourth with EJ Tenorio leading off a three-run home run.
Jesse Sablan and Randy Tudela added an RBI single apiece.
But with Justin Sablan hitting a solo home run, George Camacho and Kelvin Kalen firing base hits and scored run on errors, the Blazers came back in the top of the fourth.
That turned out to be the last good inning for the Blazers.
With two outs in the sixth, Jess Sablan and Randy Tudela singled again for San Roque. After EJ Tenorios’ two-run home run, Wally Emul Jr., hit a solo home run and San Roque allowed only one base hit and no run in the top of the seventh inning to secure their win.
Freedom Air 23, Lancheros 11
Dennis Cruz led off a single, Shane Yamada followed suit and Mel Manahane fired a three-run home run to set the lead for the Freedom Air Flyers over the Lancheros in the first inning.
Cruz drove-in a run with his second base hit, Yamada hit a two-run home run in the second and the Freedom Flyers never trailed. They went on to streak in the top of the third with four base hits and five runs and the Lancheros could only trim down the lead from Bill Aguon and Sheldon Fernandez’ run-scoring singles.
The Flyers widened the gap again in the top of the fourth with Reno Celis and Cris Castro hitting an RBI single apiece.
Mabel Ngirngemelas had an RBI single and after Cruz’ fourth base hit—a two-run single in the top of the sixth inning, Yamada fired a three-run home run to help the Flyers finish off the Lancheros.
Calikano Falcons 15, Red Eye 14
Keoni Pua forced an extra inning with his run-scoring single then, Ben Leon Guerrero hit an RBI single for their winning run over Red Eye.
Darren Pua hit a solo homerun while DJ Omar and Ben Cabrera fired a two-run shot a piece to help the Falcons come back in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Falcons did not score a run in the bottom of the sixth after Red Eye tied the game on Lensy Ogarto’s solo home run.
Red Eye lambasted the Falcons with five base hits including Swain Cangco’s two-run home run to take the upper hand again.
Nunu Kapileo and DJ Omar singled before Ben Cabrera hit a two-run double, and Keoni Pua tied the game with an RBI single pushing the game on for extra eighth inning.
Second baseman Omar and leftfielder Gerald Jones caught flyballs and the Falcons held Red Eye scoreless in the top of the eighth.
