THE 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball League kicked off  Sunday with Tokahao and Asahi, among other teams, earning debut wins at the Dandan baseball field.
Among the victors was defending champion Tokahao which overpowered the Man Amigos, 16-6.
Tokahao started on the right foot as they quickly outed the Man Amigos, allowing only one hit.
Then, at their turn at bat, Tokahao’s Bruce Norita broke the silence with a line drive, bringing home Robert Bansil while Jeff Cruz stole his way home after capitalizing off an error to give Tokahao a 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Man Amigos recovered as they scored a solo homerun courtesy of Mark Toves while Bill Camacho followed up with a double and was later brought home by Jess Tenorio to gain an RBI and even the score, 2-2.
But Tokahao retaliated in the bottom of the second inning with four runs delivered by Marco Peter and Clint Quitugua with an RBI each while other two points were scored off errors to regain control, 6-2.
The Man Amigos were still in the fight as they returned the favor, thanks to Joey Dela Cruz’s three-run homer while holding Tokahao scoreless in the third inning to cut the deficit within reach, 5-6.
But Tokahao turned the tables in the fourth inning as they silenced the Man Amigos while squeezing five runs led by Quitugua and Jeff Cruz with a two-run homer each.
After the Man Amigos scored one more run in the fifth inning, Tokahao’s Bansil connected a grand slam to end the game early via  the mercy rule, 16-6.
In other games
Joining the winner’s circle was Asahi which routed Tuturamz, 10-0.
Asahi’s strong second inning performance was the key to their early victory, notching seven runs most of which were scored off errors as Tuturamz struggled to secure the ball.
Also earning their debut wins were SUFA which bested Hagu Lamun, 17-5; Peleliu which outlasted the Redmen, 11-8; and Wazzup which edged Aimeliik 1 Time, 17-16.
