Blu Girls start Taiwan campaign
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 23 Sep 2011
The Philippines blew hot and cold in splitting its opening two games in the on-going 10th Asian Women?s Softball Championship in Nantou, Taiwan.
The Blu Girls, who had nary a wink following a five hour trip from Manila, including a two and-a-half hour drive from Taipei to competition site Tuesday, nevertheless showed class in blasting Hong Kong, 14-0, in abbreviated four-inning shutout the following day at the Ciaoguang softball field.
The brilliance the Blu Girls displayed against the Hongkong batters was still there, but the breaks weren?t against the North Koreans, who peppered starting and losing pitcher Veronica Belleza with four of their total eight hits at the top of the second inning on the way to a 3-0 victory.
Belleza though emerged as one of the Philippines? heroines in the Blu Girls blasting of the Hongkongites as she and reliever Julie Mari Muyco, younger sister of former no. 1 hurler Cloiene combined for a no-hit-no-run show.
All of coach Ana Santiago?s nine starters took the plate right in the opening frame that was highlighted by a two-base hit each of catcher Lovelyn Maganda and rightfielder Jocel Aguilar, who both took a leave from their respective commitments to beef up anew the national team. The Blu Girls scored four runs in that pivotal period with Aguilar driving home shortstop Esmeralda Tayag, who had earlier taken fist base on an error, and Maganda herself, who last year, along with several nationals sought greener pasture overseas after the entire PHI team was stricken off the Philippine Sports Commission payroll. Maganda, who now works and play in Brunei set up Aguilar?s two-run double by pushing Tayag to third on a similar extra base hit.
The Blu Girls, once ranked third in the world, whose participation here was funded by the PSC and supported by Cebuana Lhuillier, Pera Padala, Le Soleil de Boracay and Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, completed the rout with a vicious seven-hit, nine-run annihilation at the bottom of the second. Another marker in the next session on a pair of connections stopped the Hongkong batters' agony on the strength of the mercy rule.
Second basegirl Cherrylou Valenzuela singled Maganda across the plate and herself scored on another base-hit by leftfielder Marylin Francisco capping the Philippines four-run binge.
Aguilar went two-for-two at bat, batting in four runs, the most in the two-day old tournament that will decide Asia?s representation in next year?s World Championship, while Maganda was not to be outdone, connecting twice in three times on, sending a teammate home. Valenzuela also had a fine day in the batting department matching Maganda?s two-for-three feat as he drove in two runs.
The Blu Girls had hits, too, against the North Koreans, but they just couldn?t find the connections that could?ve sent their runners home. With two down and ll the bases occupied in the lower half of the sixth, firstbasegirl Dione Macasu ripped a sharp line drive that could alter the atmosphere of the game, but the ball landed into the Korean shortstop?s raised hand as sigh of relief emerged from the Korean dugout.
Back-to-back singles by Valenzuela and Francisco raised hope anew opening the last and seventh canto but third basegirl Alexanda Zuluaga was out on a liner and Valenzuela was put out, too, in a double play. The Blu Girls were still playing South Korea at press time. ?Breaks of the game. Nandun naman ang palo at ang daming base runners, pero hindi nakapagpapasok,? Santiago rued after the game. ?We have to win at least three of our last four games to at least make it to the next round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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