PHL SWEEP FOUR TITLES IN ASPAC SOFTBALL
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Jul 2013
ANGELES CITY (PNA) ? The Philippines completed a sweep of four division titles in girls? softball as Manila retained its Big League (16-18) Asia Pacific crown, and Laguna and Iloilo captured the Senior League (14-16) and the Junior League (13-14) plums respectively, all at the expense of Guam to advance into the World Series in their respective classes yesterday at the Clark Freeport Zone here.
The Manilenyas manhandled Guam, 13-1, in regulation five-inning encounter to capture the second of a Triple Crown they won last year, and thus, earned the right to defend, too, their World Series championship comes Aug. 4-10 in Lower Sussex in Delaware. The Lagunenas of Sta. Cruz town, on the other hand, outlasted their Guamanian counterparts, 4-3, and for the second time in six years, will join the Manilenyas in a trip to Lower Sussex for their side of the World Series on the same date.
Iloilo, mentored by Rey Fuentes, who only a few days earlier steered the province to clinch the World Series berth in the Major League (11-12) level, will be sending another team, this time in the Junior League play after making mince meat, also of Guam, 19-8,late in the day.
All four Philippine campaigners went undefeated in ruling their respective divisions ? the Iloilo Major Leaguers, 3-0, in its best-of-five series with Indonesia, and Manila, Laguna and the Iloilo Junior Leagues, 4-0, in their two-round, three-team series against Indonesia an Guam.
Surprised by the Guamanians? strong start in the first inning, coach Ana Santiago?s Golden Girls poured everything in the next four periods hammering out a pair of Guam hurlers with 21 connections and complementing a combined two-hit efforts of starter Hazel Claudette Anque and reliever Baby Jane Raro. The Manilenyas actually decided the issue on their side of the first period with their own three-hit, two-run binge but continued the onslaught with a run on two hits second, a three-run, four ?hit attack in the third before ending the annihilation with a mighty six-run, eight-hit salvo in the fourth highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Gelyn Lamata.
Lamata?s over-the-fence shot drove home designated player Lorna Adorable, shortstop Queeny Sabobo, and centerfielder Whell Ghene Camral, who all had earlier boarded on a single each.
The Guamanians tagged Anque, one of five University of Santo Tomas Tigresses injected in Santiago?s UAAP champion Adamson University-dominated roster, their lone pair of hits and a lone run at the bottom of the opening frame before Raro took the mound in a no-hit, no-run relief. Sharing the day?s glory with Santiago?s quartet were second base girl Krisna Paguican who went three-of-four times at bat, including a cycle-completing single, a double and a triple while taking one extra base on base-on-balls. She had three runs batted in., a feat duplicated by rightfielder Mae Uy.
?Well, nabunutan na naman tayo ng isa pang tinik. Isa pa ang problema na mas malaki, ang World Series. Medyo marami ang nabawas sa champion team noong 2012 kaya kailangan paghandaang mabuti ito,? the multi-titled Santiago said after the Manilenyas? win.
The Lagunenas, who. actually, had bagged the Senior League crown in 2007 but failed to proceed to the Delaware World Series because of their officials? failure to raise funds for their visas, bunched together all their four runs and seven hits at the top of the fourth to escape the scare of elimination. Thanks to the steady throwing hands of Geazelle Viray, who manned the hill without relief striking out 10 Guamanian batters, including the last six she met in the last two frames after Guam came dangerously close, 3-4 on a run in the fourth and a pair in the fifth.
Iloilo?s 13-14 girls, like the Manilenyas, led throughout, but needed a three-run salvo at the bottom of the sixth to end the contest in regulation.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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