Dolphins forge rubber match with Sharks

1:30 p.m.—Manila vs Cebu (Game 3)

Cebu downed an error-prone Manila, 10-9, yesterday to send the Baseball Philippines Series 6 championship to a deciding third game at the Felino Marcelino Stadium in Taguig City.

The Series 2 and Series 4 champion Dolphins scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, all on fielding errors to clinch Game 2 of the best-of-three title playoffs.

The rubber match is set this Saturday.

“It was a big win for us, this shows that experience really counts in crucial situation,” said Cebu team manager Isaac Bacarisas.

Manila, which took Game 1, 5-3, last week, actually rallied and scored a tying run, 7-7, at the top of the eighth inning.

But Cebu broke the tie with three runs in its half of the inning before Manila came up with two runs in the ninth to set the final score.

Things started well for the Sharks who binged with three runs in the second frame. But the Dolphins quickly gained bottom of the third with four runs highlighted by big hits from Jonash Ponce and Miggy Corcuera.

Ponce tripled with a grounder on centerfield to score Fulgencio Rances, while Miggy Corcuera drove him home by blasting a double to the middle. Corcuera stole home, while Edmer del Socorro, who earlier walked, dashed to home plate on an error by catcher Rommel Roja.

The Sharks’ leadoff Francis Candela smashed a double to deep left field. After a Saxon Omandac flyout, and Niño Tator’s base-on-balls, Empacis hit a linedrive that slipped past rightfielder Christian Maghanoy’s mitts. Through the chaos, Candela scored, Tator reached third, and Empacis boarded first.

But Cebu dashed it quickly with three runs bottom of the frame when Rances drove home on a catching error by shortstop Jennald Pareja.