Mustangs power past Northenders in season opener

The 2025 season of the National Baseball League kicked off in spectacular fashion on Sunday as the Mellieha Northenders hosted the Mustangs in a contest that saw power hitting, sharp defense, and stellar pitching from both sides.

The action began right away when Mustangs’ catcher Andres Susarra led off with a single, setting the stage for Jorge Acosta to crush a two-run homerun in his first at-bat, giving the Mustangs an early lead. Mellieha answered immediately in the bottom half with two runs of their own.

In the second inning, Gabriel di Sabatino launched a solo homerun to break the tie, followed by a double from Acosta and a run-scoring single by Efrain Dejan, extending the Mustangs’ lead to 4-2. But the Northenders stayed close, plating a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3.

The Mustangs kept their bats hot in the third. After Susarra was retired, di Sabatino added a double, and Acosta followed with a single, setting up Dejan for a two-run double to pull ahead 6-3. Mustangs’ pitcher Henry Wang secured the lead with a quick 10-pitch bottom of the third, holding Mellieha scoreless. In the fourth, Acosta doubled again, Dejan added a single, and Daniele Palumbo contributed a run-scoring double, part of a four-run inning that widened the lead to 10-3.

Northenders’ starter Mattheus Konno settled down, delivering an impressive eight-pitch inning to finish his outing. Reliever Cesar Hernandez came in strong for Mellieha, tossing three solid innings, including a 1-2-3 fifth, highlighted by a web gem from third baseman Matt Borg.

Seeking insurance runs, Jorge Acosta stepped up again for the Mustangs in the seventh inning, hitting an RBI triple for the cycle, completing a rare feat. The Northenders fought back late, with Michael Bartolo launching a solo homerun in the seventh but it was not enough to overcome a potent Mustangs’ offense.

The pitching performances by Henry Wang, Michael Pitzschel and Jorge Acosta held the lead en route to the Mustangs first win of the baseball season. The next game is scheduled for the Sunday 23rd March at the Marsa Baseball and Softball field as Mellieha look to bounce back and even the series.