THE Kliq, among other teams, are off to a strong start in the King of the Diamonds Labor Day Softball Tournament presented by Roil Soil Marketing.
On Sunday at the Capital Hill ballfield, the Kliq held their ground against the Homies 11-9.
The Kliq’s players were first up bat and they did not disappoint, scoring five runs in the opening inning. Babes was the the first to return home before the Homies snagged their first out. However, the Homies failed to stop the bleeding as The Kliq continued to score with Jerry, Poland, Velli and Eli extending their team’s lead, 5-0.
Keith nearly kept the momentum burning but the Homies managed to keep their opponents off the bases long enough to bag the two outs needed to end the Kliq’s offensive.
The Homies returned fire in the bottom of the second inning as Tonchu and Beef had an explosive start and were joined by YG on the score board to reduce the Kliq’s gap, 3-5.
The Homies finally took over the game in the bottom of the third inning as VJ touched the home plate followed by Boss, Tonchu, Beef, Jun and YG for a total of six runs as their team seized the lead, 9-5.
But the Kliq found their second wind in the top of the fourth inning. Jimbomb scored a double while Thizz, Teno and Babes contributed singles with all four of them rounding the bases to tie the game, 9-9.
Both teams exchanged blows in the next two innings with The Kliq sneaking in two crucial runs in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of Babes and Teno to grab control once more, 11-9.
The Homies had one more chance to score in the bottom of the seventh, but the Kliq quickly grabbed the three outs needed to end the game and seal their victory.
Also winning their games on Sunday were the Mwekmwekid which defeated Ollek 22-12; Asahi over Saipal 10-3; and Team Sufa against Titang 7-1.
In an interview with Variety, Roil Soil Marketing owner Shayne Villanueva said in the states, “CNMI residents have been holding a Labor Day tournament for over the past 15 years, and we would always get together on Labor Day. We’ve been a part of it for a long time and so now we wanted to bring it here. We also wanted to bring a different level of play. These teams are ready to play and are definitely excited for the tournament.”
With 18 teams locked in, Villanueva said, “we are really happy with the turnout.”
He said they plan to host annual tournaments for Labor Day and Liberation Day.
The Kliq’s TK connects a hit during a King of the Diamonds Labor Day Softball Tournament game presented by Roil Soil Marketing at the Capital Hill ballfield on Sunday.
The Kliq’s Eli smiles as he gets the out and passes the ball to the second baseman during a King of the Diamonds Labor Day Softball Tournament game presented by Roil Soil Marketing at the Capital Hill ballfield on Sunday.
