AFTER three scoreless innings, the NMI gained the momentum in the top of the fourth and never looked back en route to a 12-9 victory over Guam to win the gold medal in the baseball event of the 2022 Pacific Mini Games at the Francisco “Tan Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field on Friday.
“This is why I love NMI baseball — their gutsy performance that I’ve seen so many times,” said former KSPN news anchor Bob Coldeen, the islands’ chef de mission to the Mini Games and the play-by-play announcer of the gold-medal game which was livestreamed on YouTube.
Team NMI, whose players practiced on a softball field, reached the gold-medal game when pitcher Josh Jones shut out Palau with 17 strikeouts for a 2-0 victory on Friday afternoon.
Palau overpowered the NMI, 13-2, in their first encounter on Saturday, June 18.
“We brought Josh here all the way from Arizona for a reason,” Team NMI head coach Derron Flores said after their victory over Palau. One of the ace pitchers of Team NMI in past regional baseball events, Jones said it has been eight years since he represented the islands, but “I knew I am still able to play, and able to pitch.
The 29-year-old pitcher who now plays softball in Arizona where he “lives an easy life” said he was expecting a call from his NMI coaches and managers after it was announced that the Commonwealth would host the Pacific Mini Games.
In the gold-medal game on Friday, Guam initially led 2-0 which became 4-0 in the third inning.
In the next inning, however, the NMI tied the game 4-4.
Jones replaced starting pitcher Franco Nakamura in the bottom of the fourth and gave up one base-hit.
Guam took the lead again, 5-4, but Jones prevented them from scoring in the fifth with one strike out, then struck out seven more batters in the succeeding innings.
First baseman Darrion Jones and second baseman Jerald Cabrera lifted the NMI with an RBI single and sacrifice fly respectively in the top of the fourth inning. Left fielder Juan Iguel then handed the NMI a one-run lead with two-RBI double.
NMI short stop AJ Lizama fired an RBI single which was followed by Cabrera’s two-RBI double and designated hitter JP Sablan’s RBI double. Iguel chipped in another RBI single to maintain the NMI’s lead.
In the sixth inning, with the NMI ahead, 11-5, Guam scored three runs to cut the NMI lead, 8-11.
The NMI scored again to widen the lead, 12-8, but Guam was persistent and notched another run to make it 9-12 at the end of the eighth inning.
In the final inning, however, NMI led by Jones defended well to secure the gold medal.
The last time the NMI won the baseball gold in the Pacific Mini Games was in 2011 in New Caledonia.
NMI head coach Derron Flores thanked the Lord for guiding them. “We had been working four to five days a week as we prepared ourselves for this,” he said.
Against Guam, although they were scoreless in the first three innings, Flores said they never gave up the fight. “You know in baseball, it’s not over until it’s over,” he said. As soon as they tied the ball game, “the momentum shifted our way,” he added.
The winning pitcher, Josh Jones, said, “We all did this together. We all chipped in to win.”
Bob Coldeen said Team NMI “had to prepare on a softball field, and they did not play against anybody — they did not have any exhibition games; they had nothing except themselves.”
He added, “What they did have were hearts and guts, and that what’s separated Team NMI from the other teams.”
The gold medalist, Team NMI, center, with silver medalist Guam, right, and bronze medalist Palau on the podium following the 2022 Pacific Mini Games baseball finals at the Francisco “Tan Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field on Friday evening.
The NMI’s Josh Jones throws a pitch during the gold-medal game against Guam at the Francisco “Tan Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field on Friday evening.
