Team Manila win Girls As-Pac softball title
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Jun 2011
Team Manila barely flexed its muscles in disposing an outclassed Guam side, 12-2, to complete a sweep of the two teams? best-of-five series and crown themselves the Big League (16-18) Asia Pacific girls softball champions anew yesterday at the University of St. La Salle field Bacolod City.
Like in the opening two games of the series, the Manilenyas showed no mercy despite waking up as early as 4 in the morning for their 7 a.m. date with the Guamanians, as they roared ahead for good with a three run binge right in the first inning.
Coach Ana Santiago?s girls, thus, earned anew the right to represent the Asia Pacific in the division World Series traditionally scheduled August in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the United States where they ended up runner up twice, first in 2008 and, second, last year.
Both silver medal victories and a couple of bronze medal finishes were fashioned out though by the Manila Little League Charter then under the leadership of Engineer Robert Evangelista and softball legend Filomeno ?Boy? Codinera.
That charter has been disenfranchised by the Little League Philippines.
The Manilenyas battered Guam hurler Girlie Cruz with nine hits, in a two-run, two-hit, no-error show presided over by lefty Veronica Belleza and Cheska Almonte. Belleza, who incidentally came from Bacolod along with almost everybody in coach Santiago?s lineup, had an almost perfect, three-inning stint on the mound never allowing anyone from the visitors to board on a single hit.
She struck out six of the 10 Guamanians she faced never allowing anyone on board on hit. Only a base-on-balls in the third frame stained her performance.
A hard-to-field infield single to short by Cheska Bamba, who played left, signaled the rout as she and third base girl Cheska Almonte crossed the plate one after another right at the top of the opening frame on a pair of passed balls. Almonte had earlier boarded on base-on-balls.
Belleza, who took first on that error by the Guamanian catcher, also scored on another passed ball.
The Manilenyas showed their mightiest in the second where five of them reached home on three Guamanians errors and a pair of hits courtesy of Bamba and Belleza.
Like in the past years, it looks like it will be an All-Philippine show in the World Series in all girls softball divisions of the Asia pacific eliminations as the Filipina girls in the Major League (11-12), Junior League (13-14) and Senior League (14-16)led their respective categories as of press time.
The country?s Senior Leaguers from the International Little League Association of Manila had swept the opening round of the two-round, three-team class that includes China and Guams, while the Junior Leaguers, represented here by Muntinlupa, likewise, led, 2-0, in their best-of-five series against Guam.
Same with the Bacolod Junior Leaguers, who are a game a way from ruling their division as they led their best-of-five series, also against Guam, 2-0.
Should they finally prevail, the Major Leaguers stand to carry the region?s colors in the World Series set in Portland, Oregon, the Junior Leaguers in Kirkland, Washington and the Senior Leaguers in Delaware.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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