PALAU BEATS GUAM FOR BASEBALL GOLD

Bragging rights for regional baseball supremacy will stay with the host country for the second straight Pacific Mini Games after Palau beat Guam 8-1 Monday afternoon.

It is the second Mini Games where Guam has lost the gold medal game against the host, losing to the CNMI in 2022.

BASEBALL

Guam struck first in the opening inning with Ricky Leon Guerrero hitting a deep double to left center before coming home on a Nolan Cruz single.

Starter Sean Balauro got into trouble in the 2nd inning, walking three to load the bases and giving up a two-run double down the 3rd base line from Pipen Mitsur to fall behind 2-1.

After a Guam pitching change in the 4th inning, Mitsur tagged relief pitcher Peter Concepcion with a RBI single to center to extend the Palau lead to 3-1.

Guam threatened in the bottom of the 5th with two runners on and the red-hot John Salas up to bat, but winning pitcher Joshua Mathew came up with a huge strikeout as Salas sat down swinging with the Palau crowd cheering in a frenzy.

Palau added insurance runs in the top of the 7th to seal the deal, scoring five runs – four of them off reliever Franklin Ninete, Jr.

Balauro took the loss, giving up three runs and walking five in 3 1/3 innings.

Leon Guerrero, Cruz and Zach Muna all had two hits for Guam.

Mitsur went 3-for-4, 3 RBI and a walk for Palau.

Mathew came in to pitch with two outs in the first inning and went the rest of the way for Palau, scattering five hits and no runs.

Notes: Guam beat Palau 12-7 in pool play on Thursday; Palau beat CNMI 12-5 late Sunday night in a must win to go to the gold medal game.

PHOTOS COMING SOON

TRACK

Hugh Kent settled for silver in the 5000m in a time of 15:37.19, falling to Fiji. Hazel Wilson also took silver for Guam in the women’s 100m hurdles in 16.46 seconds.

JUDO

Judo added two medals for Guam as 16-year-old Hailee Webber took silver in the half middleweight division (57-63kg) by awasewaza (2 waza ari), final throw via uchimata.

17-year-old Kyle Nunez took bronze in the half lightweight division (60-66kg).

TRIATHLON

Big story of the morning is the DNP by Manami Iijima, who was too ill to partake.

The defending champion arrived in Koror under the weather and smartly withdrew the morning of the race.

“I started losing my voice since I arrived and had a fever last night but was still committed to racing,” Iijima said. “I know I have a long season ahead and putting my health at risk wouldn’t be smart. I woke up weak so I had to make the hard choice to pull out. Super sad but proud of my teammates and Pacific athletes for getting after it.”

Youngster Dina Soriano finished in 10th place out of 16 women in 1:24:45. Veteran Jennifer Pulmones finished 14th in 1:31:20.

In the men’s division, Guam national champion Jacob Torres was just one slot off the podium, finishing in 4th place at 1:05:26. All three Guam men finished in the top 10 out of 17 competitors: Ryan Matienzo (6th) at 1:12:23 and Rynier Di Ramos (8th) at 1:13:30.

Matienzo is slated to run the half marathon Wednesday morning in the last event of the Games.

GUAM MEDALS

GOLD (2)

Hugh Kent (Athletics) men’s 10,000m

Chloe Santos (Weightlifting) 53kg snatch

SILVER (6)

Chloe Santos (Weightlifting) 53kg overall

Chloe Santos (Weightlifting) 53kg clean & jerk

Amaya Bollinger (Swimming) 200m butterfly

Hailee Webber (judo) half middleweight division (57-63kg)

Baseball

Hugh Kent (Athletics) men’s 5000m

Hazel Wilson (Athletics) women’s 100m hurdles

BRONZE (5)

Mia Lee (Swimming) 50m freestyle

Israel Poppe (Swimming) 200m freestyle

Alonzo Acosta (Athletics) men’s hammer

Jordan Baden (Athletics) women’s 800m

Kyle Nunez (judo) half lightweight division (60-66kg)