Standings
x-Manila 3 1
Cebu 2 1
Batangas 2 1
Alabang 2 2
Pampanga 1 3
Taguig 1 3
x-clinched semifinal berth
Games Saturday
(E. Marcelino Memorial Stadium, Taguig City)
9 a.m. - Alabang vs. Batangas
1:30 p.m. - Cebu vs. Pampanga
Manila earned the first semifinal seat in the Dunkin Donuts Baseball Philippines Series VI with an abbreviated 15-7 win over Alabang
yesterday after the game was called off in the sixth inning due to heavy rains and lightning at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City.
The Sharks built an 11-0 lead midway into the third inning en route to victory in a big rebound to their shock 5-7 setback to
expansion team Pampanga Saturday in the tournament presented by Dunkin Donuts and organized by Community Sports.
Manila had five and four runs in the second and third innings, respectively, with Nino Tator and Saxon Omandac hitting two-run
singles in each frame.
Fil-Am catcher Bobby Siatong belted a two-run homer in the third for Alabang as the Tigers scored five runs. But the Sharks’ lead
proved too big for the hosts to overcome.
Manila hopes to close in on a twice-to-beat advantage in the semis as they go up against Taguig in its last outing on June 20.
Earlier, Justin Zialcita hit five RBIs as Batangas blasted Pampanga, 9-3, to annex its second straight win after an opening day
setback.
Zialcita, a Fil-Am from Pasadena City College, went four-of-five at bat, including a pair of run-scoring doubles in the
second and eighth innings and an RBI single in the fourth to key the Bulls' follow
up win to their 15-7 romp over the Taguig Patriots last week.
It was indeed a big rebound by the defending champions, who dropped a sorry 4-5 loss to the Manila Sharks in the inaugurals of
the tournament.
Batangas team manager Randy Dizer said that the Bulls are slowly regaining their form with the veterans blending well with the
young players.
The Bulls scored four runs in the second as Mark Ong hit a two-run double after Junifer Pinero reached first on a fielding error,
Vladimir Eguia singled and Charles Cantangui was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After two groundouts, Zialcita sent Pampanga starter Allen
Dizon's pitch to left field to score Cantangui and Ong.
Zialcita also doubled in the fourth to send Nick Sarda home, one of the two runs in the inning as the Bulls padded their lead
to 6-0.
With the Bulls up at 7-3 with two outs at the top half of the eighth frame, Pelos Remollo reached third on a single by Josh
Rapaport before Zialcita pushed them to home plate on a single to left field off Ernesto Binarao.
Batangas rotated its pitchers superbly with starter Amber Plaza playing four innings and yielding two runs and a hit. Ong played
two innings in a relief job and issued a hit before UAAP MVP Romeo Jasmin took over in the last three, allowing four hits while striking out three.
The Sand Kings, who stunned the Sharks, 7-5,last Saturday, dropped to 1-3 in the company of Taguig.
The tournament is backed by Gatorade, Industrial Enterprises Inc., Philippine Transmarine Carriers Inc., Harbour
Centre, The Heritage Park with the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball
Association, Philippine Umpires Association and DZSR Sports Radio as partners.(pr)
Linescores: RHE
Batangas 040 210 020 9 11 4
Pampanga 000 200 10x 3 6 7
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