ON TO WORLD SERIES: Manila, Bacolod dominate Asia Pacific softball meet
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 16 Jul 2010
The Philippines? Team Manila ended up its Asia Pacific Big League girls softball campaign the way it started: with a bang.
The Manila Golden Girls remained unforgiving till the end blasting Pakistan in a whooping 51-0 blowout to win back the Little League International?s 16-18 division title and represent anew the Asia Pacific Region in the World Series set next month in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
With their Adamson University 1-2 pitching punch ? Julie Marie Muyco and Erica Escanuela -- directing plays in the first three innings and closer Amanda ?Bada? La?O winding up, The Big City Girls merely lifted their fingers in, again, preventing any team in the field of three from scoring.
It was an All-Filipina show in the girls softball half of the Asia Pacific series that also includes boys baseball as Bacolod City, dumped host Indonesia, 29-1, also in regulation, to retained the Major League (11-12) girls softball plum, also at the Senayan Sports Complex grounds in Jakarta.
The Bacolodnons? title conquest lead them back to Portland, Oregon for the world Series in their age level, also in August.
Muyco, younger sister of Philippine Blu Girl Cloiene, retired all the three Pakistani batters that crossed her path in the first frame, the same way the 19-year--old La?O did to the last six she faced even as both, likewise, sent the pair of rival hurlers reeling in the offensive side of the shortened five-inning contest.
Escanuela, one of only two remained in Manila?s 2008 roster that finished second in that year?s World Series, accounted for the sole Pakistani hitter that boarded on walk, but left her stranded at first in the second frame. She then sent the next three she met in order in the next session.
The power-throwing Muyco, one of the finest products of Bacolod?s softball program, was also superb at the plate going a perfect five-for-five with the aluminum stick that included a solo home run in the mighty 23-run, 15-hit Golden girls attack at the top of the third.
An eight-run opening salvo in the first credited her the victory.
Marlyn Francisco and Elvie Entrina also went 1.000 at bat on a six-of-six and four-of-four display of hitting power. Veronica and Rizza Bernardino, who both play outfield when not pitching, were also impressive with similar five-of-six at bat.
Muyco, Belleza, Bernardino and Francisco, all members of the Philippine Blu Girls coming back in Jakarta next month for the Southeat Asian championship, accounted for the 30 of the Filipinas? total run production in six runs each.
The stocky La O who played her first and last Asia Pacific game in the 16-18 bracket, had also shown consistency not only on the mound but at the plate as went four-of-seven with a pair of doubles.
?Well, sinisiguro naman nating mananalo tayo dito, pero di ko inaasahang ganito kadali,? Ana Santiago, head Coach Filomeno ?Boy? Codinera?s assistant said in an overseas telephone interview. ?Ang Pakistan, naiintindihan ko na mahina dahil bago pa lang sila sa softball. But I was surprised why Indonesia failed to put up a fight considering na matagal na rin ang kanilang softball program.?
Where the Filipina softbelles succeeded, their boys baseball counterparts failed as the International Little League Association of Manila Little Leaguers (11-12) bowed to Taiwan, 10-0, in the two teams? final encounter.
The Muntinlupa City Junior Leaguers (13-14), likewise, found their Taiwanese counterparts their masters, losing, 7-0, also in the gold medal play.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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