July 3, 2025- (Koror, Palau) Guam bounced back in a big way Thursday afternoon, defeating Palau 12–7 in their second game of the day at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, held at Nippon Baseball Stadium. The win moves Guam to 2 wins – 1 loss in the tournament, while Palau falls to 1 win –1 loss in the tournament as of July 3.
Coming off a heartbreaking walk-off loss to CNMI earlier in the morning, Guam responded with resilience and firepower, pounding out 14 hits to overwhelm Palau’s pitching staff.
Sean Christopher Balauro secured the win for Guam, with Nolan Ryan Gogue Cruz closing things out for the save. O’neill Yobech took the loss for Palau in what was a tough debut outing, his ERA jumping to 10.50.
Palau showed some offensive spark in their tournament opener, managing seven runs on just four hits and taking advantage of three Guam errors. But Guam’s bats were relentless, producing runs in bunches and taking control early.
Both teams committed three errors, but Guam’s deeper lineup and ability to recover from a shaky start to the day made the difference.
The game featured a pair of home runs with Ray Rumong launching one for Palau, while John Robert Salas Jr. answered with a long ball of his own to extend Guam’s lead, highlighting a back-and-forth slugfest between two regional rivals.
The win keeps Guam in strong contention as the baseball tournament heats up. Palau, meanwhile, will look to tighten up defensively and settle into the competition in their next outing against Fiji.