The Sports Leigh-Out May 23-29, 2026

Hafa Adai and Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases with this week’s Sports Leigh-Out brought to you by Joeten Motors!

The recovery continues, but so does the determination of our athletes.

Skoba 3-peats; 670 Babes crowned women’s champs

The past Memorial Day weekend was filled with softball, camaraderie, and community support at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field and Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan Softball Field, with both the men’s and women’s divisions going the distance, each playing both games to decide the double-elimination finals on Sunday, May 24, in the 2026 CNMI Softball Tournament.

In the men’s division, Skoba captured its third straight championship after edging rival Mamaaw in dramatic walk-off fashion, 8-7, in the winner-take-all finale that went into extra innings.

The hero was Brian Camacho, whose deep fly ball brought home Eli Aughenbaugh from third base for the championship-winning run. It finally ended a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with clutch hits and ties in nearly every inning.

In the first game though, Mamaaw—riding a hot streak before punching its ticket to the finals—carried that momentum into an 8-5 victory. Their pitcher quieted Skoba’s bats as they were only able to score most of their runs towards the end of the game—but it wasn’t enough as Mamaaw forced the winner-take-all with the sun setting slowly over the horizon.

However, Skoba came alive and bounced back to show why they had already won two straight titles, sealing its third championship in the final game. It was a fitting finish to a tournament that opened Friday, May 22, battled through rain delays Saturday, and wrapped up under scorching Sunday heat.

Third place went to Parre Pack. The rest of the men’s teams were Da Aliens, Ma’toka, Fakamean, Bat-titude, Mamaaw, Riddim, Blue Jays, Just Fams, and Mwaalir Alutung.

Tony Salas, a Skoba player and tournament committee member, said of the win, “It’s good, we always put up a good fight. We tried our best—we gotta give it to the guys for giving it their all.

We played a good team, Mamaaw, and they battled through—gotta give it to them. They did the same thing last year with us, they took us to the eighth game and battled hard, so big ups to those guys for always playing hard.”

Then, speaking as a committee member, Salas also reflected on the tournament itself, saying that it was successful. With the tournament also being a donation drive, he said there were lots of donated canned goods and clothing that will go out to the community in need. “We got a lot of clothes and canned food so we’re going to figure out what’s the best route for this—take this house to house or to a shelter—we just want to give back and that was the point of this.”

He then thanked the tourney’s sponsors, organizers, volunteers, and players for their support for the successful tourney, and is looking forward to the next tournament.

In the women’s division, the 670 Magas Babes battled their way to the top by winning both finals games to take down top seed Lady Akkari. The Babes, who came into the finals riding a hot streak of their own, clinched the first game, 8-5, behind a solo home run from Kianu Aldan against veteran pitcher Jovie Omar.

Lady Akkari then put on their game faces and caught fire at the plate, matching the heat their pitcher brought from the mound. Omar still couldn’t cool down the Babes’ offense, though, and the championship game turned into another back-and-forth battle for the title.

In the end, the Babes had the final say, scoring three runs late, including the walk-off run off the bat of Moriah Sablan as Lady Akkari’s defense broke down, sealing the 13-12 championship victory.

MP Raiders in Guam for YIMPACT 9th Summer Camp

The MP Raiders basketball club, led by coach Marlene Lumabi, flew to Guam yesterday with six players to take part in the YIMPACT 9th Annual Summer Camp, which runs today, Monday, May 25 to Sunday, May 31 at the George Washington High School Gymnasium.

Representing the Raiders are Edward Manibusan, Marc Tengco, Nolan Cultura, Kenny Laquian, Derrick Tenorio, and Dane Tibayan, all looking to sharpen their skills and gain experience against a different level of competition outside the CNMI.

Hernando L. Planells Jr., Technical Director for the NBA Basketball School in Dubai and the UAE, is serving as the camp’s special guest.

Lumabi said the experience is about more than just skill work. “Camps like this expose players to different coaching styles, faster pace, higher competition, and new perspectives on the game,” she said. “As a program, we believe development happens when athletes are challenged and placed in environments that push them beyond their comfort zone.”

She added that despite ongoing recovery at home following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the group made it a priority to attend. “Even after the challenges and recovery following the typhoon, we still made it a priority to make this trip and camp happen because we believed the experience would be valuable for our athletes,” Lumabi said. “It was important for us to continue creating opportunities for them despite the circumstances.”

Players were selected based on commitment, work ethic, attitude, coachability, and consistency, with the program aiming to send athletes who represent MP Raiders values on and off the court.

Lumabi said the goal is for the athletes to return with improved confidence, discipline, and a better understanding of what it takes to compete at a higher level.

“Absolutely. We hope this is only the beginning. Our goal is to continue building relationships and creating pathways that allow CNMI athletes to gain more exposure, compete internationally, and experience opportunities that help them grow both as players and individuals,” she said, when asked about future opportunities for similar exposure trips.

Rota’s Co-Ed Softball Tournament continues

Rota’s Co-Ed Softball Tournament continues on for the first time after Super Typhoon Sinlaku, with the playoffs and semis slated for today, Saturday, May 30, at 1pm and 2:30pm, and tomorrow, Sunday, May 31, also at 1pm and 2:30pm.

On Saturday, June 6, the championships are slated for 1pm.

10th Annual President Cup Futsal Tourney kicked off

In celebration of NMI Football president Jerry Tan and his twin brother’s birthday, NMIFA, Saipan Soccer School, and Tan Siu Lin Foundation hosted the 10th Annual President Cup Futsal Tournament at the TSL Sports Complex from May 26 to 29.

Yesterday, Friday, May 29 was the finals. Stay tuned for the full story.

Birthday Bash 5K Fun Run for Landen held

Family and friends of NMI national team runner Landen Taflinger held a Birthday Bash Fun Run 5K as an early celebration of his 18th birthday at the scenic Gov. Eloy Inos Peace Park, rain or shine, on Wednesday, May 27.

Despite it being a fun run, medals were given to the top runners in their divisions.

Top 3 Men’s:

Theodore Rodgers- 32:28

Sildrey Veloria- 32:43

Chad Taflinger- 35:23

Women’s:

Nelly Min- 37:32

18U boys:

Tony Camacho- 29:50

Landen Taflinger- 35:23

18U girls:

Kalen Taflinger- 49:16

Jessica Kim- 49:16

Celine Park- 49:17