INQUIRER Sports

TAMUNING, Guam - International Little League Association of Manila got a huge lift from the returning Sarina Samson in hacking out a come-from-behind 9-6 triumph over Guam Thursday to move on the cusp of clinching a place in the Senior League World Series.

Bucking flu-like symptoms that kept her out of the first game, Samson banged two base hits, scored thrice and made a sensational catch on the run at left field as she helped give the Illam softbelles, who also drew two RBIs from Isabel Gomez, open up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series against Guam in the Asia-Pacific Softball Championships.

Illam, taking the reins from powerhouse Bacolod, posted a tougher-than-expected 11-7 victory in Game 1 at the Sta. Rita field
Wednesday night.

?It?s not over yet,? said Illam coach Randy Dizer, whose squad will go for a sweep and the World Series spot in Sussex, Delaware Friday. ?Guam has really good hitters so we can?t afford to relax.?

Rizal also moved within a victory of sealing its spot in the Big League World Series, after scoring back-to-back wins.

If not for a last-minute change in the tournament format --- from single to double round, the Rizal clouters would have already clinched the crown after crushing Jakarta, 17-0, Tuesday and beating Guam, 12-6, yesterday.

With the change in format, Rizal needs to prevail over Jakarta again late Thursday to virtually seal the title and render its rematch with Guam on Friday a no-bearing game.

Brenda Bacarisas, a standout from the University of the East, drove in four runs for Rizal, which took control with four runs in the first inning.

Bacarisas? went two-for-four, hitting a single that sent home Jelly Mecabalo in the first inning, and a double that scored Veronica Belleza and Mecabalo again at the top of the fourth frame.

After Mecabalo gave up five hits and three runs in the first four innings, Belleza, one of three Rizal players with World Series experience, shut out the Guamanians in the last three, where she struck out five batters.

Flashing an improved game that surprised Filipino coaches here, Guam made three hits and turned it into five runs at the top of the second inning, before Samson fuelled the comeback from 2-5 down by stealing home after an error by the Guamanians.

With the game tied at 6, Samson and Lala Cruz rushed to score the go-ahead runs in the fifth inning after a fly ball from Gomez.