Asian Games: PH Blu Girls bow to Chinese Taipei ahead of bronze match

FILE– PH Blu Girls in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Photo Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines

The Philippine Blu Girls absorbed a 6-4 loss to Chinese Taipei on Saturday in what turned out to be a warm-up match before the bronze medal clash of the two teams in the Hangzhou Asian Games women’s softball competitions.

Despite rallying twice to tie the game, the Blu Girls surrendered two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning that eventually spelled the difference in the final game of the super round at at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Center.

Both teams will meet again on Monday, with the Blu Girls aiming to secure their first-ever podium finish in the continental meet.

Twice did the Blu Girls placed fourth during the 2014 edition in Incheon and the 2018 tilt in Jakarta.

It will also be the last chance for coach Ana Santiago’s team to finally score one against Chinese Taipei this year after losing twice in the Women’s Softball Asia Cup, including a 5-0 defeat in a battle for third.

The Blu Girls trailed 3-0 after two innings but Alaiza Talisik’s single scored Nicole Hammoude in the third before Cristy Joy Roa’s single to left sent home Hammoude and Sky Ellazar in the fifth to even things up at 3-3.

Chinese Taipei got the lead back in its own half of the fifth as Chia Wen Shen got home from third on a groundout by Chia Yun Chang for the second out.

The Philippines responded in the top of the sixth with Hammoude’s double that scored Mary Joy Maguad, who earlier made it to first on a hit by pitch for a 4-4 tie.

But Chinese Taipei regained the advantage in the lower part of the sixth with a Chih Ying Lin single which allowed Chia Hui Ko to score from second to for a 5-4 lead. Lin advanced to second before touching home on Hsuan Liu’s single for a needed insurance run.

The seventh and final inning saw Talisik flying out to left, Roa striking out and Charlotte Sales grounding out that confirmed the Blu Girls’ defeat.