Hemet, California—Defending Champion Team Manila–Philippines showed fine form as it rolled over Moreno Valley, 16-0, yesterday going into the final day of group competition in the 2018 edition of the PONY World Series 18–U Girls Softball Championships at the packed out Diamond Valley Park inside the Valley-Wide Recreation District here.
Standout pitcher Glory Alonzo again delivered a stellar performance with three no-run innings, two fine defensive stops, and a one-run homerun as the 17-year-old from the Domingo Lacson National High School in Negros Occidental limited Moreno Valley to just four hits to lead the Manila batters in the first match of a double header going to the final day of seeding for teams seeing action in this prestigious event.
But it was at the bottom of the first inning when the Big City softbelles, whose trip here is backed by Mayor Joseph Estrada and the International Container Terminal Services Inc., scored seven straight runs jumpstarted by a two-run homerun by the 15-year-old heavy hitting Alexandria Romero-Salas, followed by another two-run homerun by outfielder/catcher Alaiza Talisik, then another run by center fielder Khrisha Cantor off a base hit by third baseman Madaelene Domaug.
Another two-run homerun at the bottom of the second was completed by first baseman/pitcher Cleofe Magsayo after a couple of one-run homeruns each by pitcher Alonzo and shortstop Angelu Gabriel, including an RBI each by Romero-Salas and Cantor for a final score of 16-0 going into the bottom of the third for an abbreviated match.
In the second of the double header, top hurler Alma Tauli was in her usual fine form as she silenced the San Bernardino Blake crowd with five strike outs, two defensive stops, and three no run innings to lead the Manila softbelles to a 10-0 win over the San Bernardino batters.
The 15-year-old Magsayo took over the mount from Tauli at the top of the fourth inning and gave an impressive performance with three strike outs and two no run innings, but it was also Magsayo who started the scoring spree at the bottom of the first with a one-run homerun for a 2-0 lead, followed by another homerun by shortstop Gabriel and a run each by Magsayo and Romero-Salas off a base hit by outfielder/catcher Talisik at the bottom of the third inning for a 5-0 lead.
Third baseman Domaug added another homerun at the bottom of the fourth, a run off a catching error by Romero-Salas and run each by Cantor and Chavez of a base hit by Domaug for a 10-0 win at the bottom of the fifth on regulation time.
“Focus lang tayo lalo na sa next game natin at hindi dapat sobrang kumpiyansa dahil hindi naman sila magiging traveling teams dito sa US ng ganun lang, syempre meron din ang mga yan,” said head coach Anna Santiago.
The Manila softbelles leads its Pool and will battle San Jacinto Mayhem today to determine the group’s front-runner for the cross-over elimination round to the semifinals and boost its bid to defend the World Series crown.
