By Jojo Santo Tomas
The Notre Dame Royals stayed atop the standings in the ISA baseball season with a 7-3 win over the George Washington High School Geckos Saturday at GW. The Royals now stand at 3-0 with a game against Tiyan High School next.
Junior hurler Trace Taijeron pitched a complete game gem for the Royals, holding the Geckos without a hit through four innings while allowing just one batter on base via walks.
As the Gecko batters found their timing against Taijeron in the fifth and seventh innings, the Royal defense stayed stout and diffused big scoring opportunities for the Geckos.
“I felt good out there. I trusted my boys. But my stuff was really working today too,” he said, adding that communication with his catcher Co’en Villanueva was excellent. “I had some bad pitches, but he was always there to pick me back up and let me know.”
Taijeron surrendered his first hit to Gecko shortstop Ise Olkeriil to lead off the bottom of the fifth, but got two quick outs right afterward. GWs Talen Taitano and Marvin Jones both reached base on errors, and Olkeriil went home on an error to put the Geckos on the board with two men on base.
Taijeron struck out Derck Treltas to end the fifth-inning threat.
The Royals added insurance runs in the top of the sixth, getting three runs on RBI doubles by Kian Cruz and Ty Leon Guerrero. After Taijeron spent nine pitches to put down three batters in order, ND threatened to increase its 7-1 lead. Gecko pitcher Theo Jones allowed one runner on base but he was left stranded as got two outs in quick succession.
The Geckos offered a spirited rally in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Olkeriil and Marquis Atin led off the inning with swingles to left fieled, and Jones brought in Olkeriil with a grounder past the pitcher to centerfield.
Two runs would be all the Geckos could muster as Taijeron had a strikeout to end the threat, the inning and the game.
OTHER GAMES
Tiyan 17, Sanchez 1
Guam High16, JFK 0
FD 15, Okkodo 0
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