
[useful_banner_manager_banner_rotation banners=9,17 interval=8 width=120 height=600 orderby=rand] |
By Michael J.A. Nauta Jr.
After opening the 2014 IIAAG High School Girls Softball League with a gut-wrenching loss to the John F. Kennedy Lady Islanders, the Academy of Our Lady of Guam Cougars shook it off and returned to action yesterday afternoon with a mission. Taking on the Guam High School Lady Panthers at the GW Field, both teams battled through seven innings of play. When the final out of the game was recorded, the scoreboard reflected a 12-6 score giving the Cougars their first victory of the season.
“We knew that the our season-opener loss would not bring us down, but give us a great sense of motivation coming into this game,” said Academy’s Meagan Maratita. “Today’s game showed that we can bounce back from anything and turn it into a positive.”
The Cougars set the tone early in the opening-inning with Guam High at-bat. Maratita took the mound and wasted no time as she recorded her first strikeout needing only three pitches. The Panthers had some difficulty connecting with the ball and eventually found themselves on defense three batters later. In the bottom of the first, Academy’s offense opened a 2-0 lead courtesy of a two-run inside-the-park homerun by Saij Duenas.
“It was all confidence that allowed for that long hit,” said Duenas. “ I had a very good feeling about it the second I connected with the ball.”
Before the Cougars returned to the plate in the second-inning, Maratita kept the Panthers hitless after recording two strikeouts and plating four batters. Offensively, Academy upped their lead to 5-0 after Paige Pereira, Aolani Cruz, and Kiana Rivera crossed home plate. Duenas continued her hot hitting as she recorded a two-RBI single in the inning.
Later in the top of the fourth, Guam High ended the scoreless drought and trimmed their deficit down to four. After a single to leftfield put Agnes Neal on the base path, the Panthers’ Cylynthia Dargan stroked a single that eventually drove Neal in making it a 5-1 game. Defensively, Guam High held ground in the bottom-half as starting pitcher Kayla Blend retired the side facing four batters to include her third strikeout of the game.
Just when the Panthers looked to get a rally started, Academy immediately put a halt and responded heavily in their half of the fifth. Led by four combined RBIs by the trio of Kiersten Pangelinan, Cristiana Carbullido, and Maratita, the Cougars rebuilt a 9-1 lead.

Cougars’ Ashley Borja scores while Panthers’ catcher Adriana Johnson struggles to gain control of the ball. (photo by Jesse Castro)
Later in the sixth, Guam High sparked a small surge and managed to add three runs on the board making it a five-run game. With teammate Nia Walker in scoring position, Blend hit a long single that allowed Walker to reach home plate. Academy’s Maratita ran into a bit of trouble and gave up two more runs before managing to retired the side with back-to-back strikeouts.
Heading into the top of the seventh, the Panthers trailed 12-4 and needed at least eight runs to extend the game. Despite allowing their opponents to score two runs, the Academy defense managed to end the game without further harm and clinch the victory.
“Academy is a really good team and they played well today,” said Guam High’s Blend. “They are a bunch of girls who put on a show of great teamwork and bond.”
Maratita who pitched a complete game and recorded ten strikeouts led the Cougars. Offensively, Duenas went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with a homerun, triple, single, walk and four RBIs. In the losing effort, Guam High’s Blend recorded four strikeouts from the mound, while teammate Neal went 3-for-3 with a double, two singles, walk, and three stolen bases.
2014 IIAAG High School Girls Softball League action returns to the diamond on Saturday with the following games scheduled to start at 10am:
- Guam High vs. Southern at Southern
- JFK vs. GW at GW
- Okkodo vs. Simon Sanchez at Okkodo
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
6th |
7th |
R |
H |
E |
|
Guam High Panthers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
Academy Cougars |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
X |
12 |
6 |
2 |


GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

Basketball
BULLDOGS WIN BATTLE OF 4-0 TEAMS

Baseball
MUNA LEADS DODGERS TO TOURNEY FINALS

MMA/Boxing
JONES TO FACE FORMER UFC CHAMPION

Baseball
GECKOS SWING BIG IN SEASON OPENER

Baseball
FRIARS EDGE ROYALS IN PITCHER’S DUEL

Basketball
FRIARS TAKE DOWN PANTHERS 74-68

Running/Track
GECKOS, SHARKS BUILDING TRACK CONFIDENCE
