Manila batters bomb Guam in AS-PAC Softball

MANILA—Team Manila crushed Guam, 22-0, yesterday to move on the brink of back-to-back crowns in the Big League division of the Asia-Pacific Softball Championships at the University of St. La Salle field in Bacolod City.

It was the second straight victory for the Manilans, who also demolished Guam, 16-0, Monday at the start of their best-of-five series for the As-Pac crown, which Manila won last year in Jakarta.

“We are better prepared this year and it’s showing in our games,” said Manila coach Ana Santiago.

“The morale of the team is very high,” added Santiago, noting the support given by Manila Little League president Che Borromeo, who is also city councilor of Manila.

Seeing action in the junior league division, Bacolod also closed in on the title with two straight wins over Guam in their own series.

Bacolod scored an emphatic 12-0 win yesterday to follow up an 8-4 trouncing in the series opener.

Manila placed second last year in the World Series finals in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Among the holdovers from that squad are Annalie Benjamen and Veronica Belleza, who is also the starting pitcher for the Blu Girls, and ace hitters Rissa Bernardino, Cindy Carol Banay and Isabel Gomez.

Muntinlupa, which is representing the Philippines in the girls’ Major 11-12 division for the first time, got its campaign off to a big note by downing Guam, 10-1, at the start of its own race-to-three duel.

International Little League Association of Manila, the country’s Senior League bet, was playing Guam at press time yesterday.