PORTLAND, OREGON—With the threat of early elimination hanging over its head, the Philippine team from Bacolod City takes on US-Central on Monday, hoping to resuscitate its flagging title aspirations in the Little League Softball World Series at the Alpenrose Field here.

Over in Bangor, Maine, the International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM), powered by five stalwarts from last year’s squad that finished second in the Junior League Baseball World Series, opens its bid against old foe Hawaii at 2:30 p.m. today (Monday, 2:30 a.m. in the Philippines) in the Senior League tournament.

Hawaii, bannered by Pearl City, won the Junior League title in Taylor, Michigan last year at the expense of ILLAM.

But there was a pall of gloom in the RP campaign here when another team from Bacolod forfeited its slot in the Junior League softball tournament in Kirkland, Washington, after team officials said they were not able to get an earlier flight for the event that was supposed to start Monday.

The news of Bacolod’s withdrawal from the tournament it won five years ago was relayed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Little League Philippines official Chito Gonzales, who hinted that the LLP may suspend Bacolod teams to prevent a repetition of the incident.

Without providing specifics, RP Little League coach Vilda Benjamen claims the Philippines has a winning record against US-Central, represented by Sterling, Illinois.

But Benjamen believes previous results hardly matter come game time at 5 p.m. today (Monday, 8 a.m. in the Philippines), pointing to the RP debacle against US-West last Friday when the Filipinos were shut out, 3-0, by the team it has whipped many times in the past.

US-Central also nearly defied the odds Sunday when it pushed powerhouse US-South to seven innings only to lose, 6-4. South stood on top of the standings, followed by Central and West at 1-1.

But for the five-time World Series coach, the Filipinos biggest battle is in the recovery of their form and energy, zapped by the long travel from Manila to this city.

“They are still way off the form that won them the Asia Pacific title,” Benjamen said after presiding over training at the Somerset Sports Club here Sunday. “The jet lag is still there and I’m just hoping they will be fully recovered by tomorrow.”

The Filipino batters were given an unexpected morale boost Saturday night as members of the Council of Filipino-American Associations of Oregon and Southwest Washington extolled them for representing the country in the World Series in a function attended by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa.

Meanwhile, the Philippines wound up fourth in the Senior League World Series in Lower Sussex, Delaware, after losing, 1-0, to US-Central at the Lower Sussex park in Roxanna, Delaware.

The Latin American team from Puerto Rico bagged the title over US-East, 3-2.