Filipina Little League Batters earn trip to world series championships
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 04 Jul 2013
ANGELES CITY (PNA) ? This one?s for the books. Indonesian pitcher Chantique Milenissa muzzled Iloilo Province to a measly hit, but yielded a record total 16 bases-on-balls, seven in the first inning alone, as the Filipina 11-12 Little League softbelles took an abbreviated three-inning 10-0 shutout victory to earn a trip for the first time to the United Sates for the division World Series championship yesterday in the Asia-Pacific eliminations at the Parade Grounds of the Clark Air Base here.
Four of the first five Ilonggas Milenissa walked in that bottom of the opening frame leisurely proceeded all the way home in what proved the girls of coach Rey Fuentes needed markers in sweeping the two teams? best-of-five series with the Indonesians, three-to-nil, as they set their eyes to going to Portland in Oregon this August 8-14 in a bid to hand the Philippines a third World Series crown.
Indonesian batter Dhia Alvira surprised starter and winning hurler Royeve Palma with a single in the second, but failed to go farther from first against the defensive blanket the Ilonggas threw at them.
?Noong maka-iskor ng apat sa first inning pa lang, tinamad na ang mga bata kaya din a tumama sa mga susunod na inning,? Fuentes, a former member of the Philippine Blu Boys and many-time girls softball mentor in the neighboring Bacolod City, said with a wide grin after his girls? victory.
?Pinabayaan ko na, lamang naman ng malaki at kailangan na ring medyo mamahinga, tatlong sunod-sunod sa loob ng tatlong araw, nakaka-awa mga bata,? Fuentes, now 45 who actually gave the country its first of only two World Series titles when he guided Bacolod to the 2003 Junior League (13-14) in Kirkland, Washington plum, said.
And it looks like Fuentes could also steer Iloilo?s Junior Leaguers to the world tilt after his 13-14 softbelles took another step towards ruling, too, that bracket by manhandling Indonesia, 30-3, in a fitting follow up to their opening day 11-0 blanking of Guam.
Day 3 of hostilities proved bleak to the Indonesian contingent as its Senior Leaguer (14-16) bowed to Sta. Cruz of Laguna, 18-3, also in only four frames of action and their Big Leaguer (16-18) was mangled by reigning World Big League champion Manila, 23-1. In a shorter three-inning battle.
And with the way Ilolilo, Laguna and Manila are beating the hell out of Indonesia, Guam and Saipan in their respective classes, it looks like the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions will be represented by the Philippines in all four brackets of the world championships, a first in the International Little League plays in girls softball.
?Magandang balita yan para sa bayan natin,? coaches Ana Santiago of Manila and Fuentes chorused. ?Dito sa ASPAC pinatutunayan natin na ang sport na di pinapansin ng ating mga lider sa sports eh siyang nagbibigay ng karangalan sa Pilipinas.?
Milenisa sealed her and the Indonesian Little Leaguers? fate when she gratis et amore yielded the bags one after another to Illoilo catcher and lead-off girl Maria Llanga, rightfielder Tina Mary Catindig and Susanne Rueve before forcing Palma out on a fly ball to center.
Successive freebies given to leftfielder Iris Tagolinot, first basegirl, shortstop Galmalyn Ambong and the younger Royevel Palma accounted for the four runs Iloilo scored in the first frame.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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