Photo by Romy Homillada
PALEMBANG, Indonesia—The Philippine softball teams took different routes in retaining their titles at the 26th Southeast Asian Games here.
It was smooth sailing for the Blu Girls, who blanked the Thais, 6-0, in the women’s morning final, while the men had a bumpy ride before subduing their Indonesian counterparts, 7-3, for the crown in the afternoon at the Jakabaring Sport City softball stadium.
Egged on by hundreds of supporters, the Indonesians took a 3-1 lead going into the sixth inning, before the Filipinos unloaded three hits that triggered a 5-0 run.
With Jasper Cabrera on first base, the Blu Boys bunted twice off errors to fill the bases.
A single by Oscar Bradshaw sent designated player Cabrera home to make it 2-3.
Third baseman Apolonio Rosales then doubled as the Filipinos moved up, 4-3.
The next two batters grounded out before Orlando Binarao came through with another double to hand the Blu Boys, coached by Robert Ituralde and managed by Jun Veloso III, a 6-3 lead.
The Blu Girls, coached by Ana Santiago and managed by Veneardo Dizer, hardly broke a sweat as they peppered the hapless Thais with 10 hits and stayed unbeaten in the biennial meet.
Julie Marie Muyco pitched a two-hitter in a no-relief effort for the Blu Girls, who gave up only two hits throughout the event.
The Indonesians topped the eliminations with a 3-0 record, including a 4-2 stunner over the Filipinos in the softball inaugurals on Nov. 13. The defending champions, however, exacted vengeance, 2-1, on Nov. 16, 2-1, to arrange the grudge title showdown.
Expectedly, the Philippine clouters swept the men’s and women’s softball crown at the expense of Indonesian teams in the 2005 SEA Games softball competitions held in Pasig.
In the 2007 SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, the Blu Boys also downed the Indonesians, 11-2. The Blu Girls, on the other hand, blanked Singapore, 7-0.
Softball wasn’t played in the 2009 edition in Vientiane, Laos.