Philippine Blu Girls. Photo from Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines’ Facebook.
MANILA, Philippines-The World Cup-bound Philippine Blu Girls were handed a 10-5 loss by Chinese Taipei on Saturday to settle for a fourth place finish in the Women Softball Asia Cup in Incheon, South Korea.
Despite opening the game with four runs in the top of the first inning, the Blu Girls couldn’t sustain their early lead as the Taiwanese’s bats came alive to take control of the consolation match for bronze at Songdo LNG Stadium.
But the Blu Girls succeeded in what they were set out to do by securing a place in the World Cup which starts June in Europe after a fourth slot for Asia was added as a wildcard.
“Despite the final score, you all played with heart and gave it your all! Keep your heads up high and continue to represent our country with pride,” Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier said in a message to the team.
The Blu Girls placed fourth in the preliminary round by going 5-3 to arrange a match with Chinese Taipei for a place in the podium. The semifinals were scrapped after Wednesday’s matches were rained out.
The Philippines got in front with Alaiza Talisik bringing home the game’s first run with an RBI single that scored Angelu Gabriel.
Talisik would later double the lead on Khrisna Castor’s single before Elsie dela Torre drove in two runs on a single to left for a 4-0 Blu Girls advantage.
Chinese Taipei closed the gap with three runs in the bottom half of the first and the Philippines extended its lead to 5-3 on Mary Maguad’s sacrifice fly that brought home Charlotte Sales from third in the second.
But the Blu Girls eventually lost their advantage as Chinese Taipei scored three in the third, capped off with a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Chia Hui Ko that scored Yi Fan Ho.
Yi-Ting Yang scored on a fielding error in the fourth, Ko blasted a two-run homer in the fifth and Chia Yi Chen allowed Feng Chen Lin to reach home after a sacrifice fly in the sixth