Sharks, Dolphins down rivals, clinch semis incentives

Final standings
y-Manila 4 1
y-Cebu 4 1
x-Batangas 3 2
x-Alabang 2 3
Pampanga 1 4
Taguig 1 4
y-clinched
twice-to-beat in semis
x-clinched
semis berth

Games Saturday
(Felino Marcelino Baseball Stadium, Taguig City)
9 a.m. – Alabang vs. Manila
1:30 p.m. – Batangas vs. Cebu

Manila and Cebu hurdled their respective rivals in varying fashions to gain the twice-to-beat incentives in the semifinal at the close of the
elimination round of the Dunkin’ Donuts Baseball Philippines Series VI at the Felino
Marcelino Baseball Stadium in Taguig City, Sunday.

The Sharks dominated the Taguig Patriots, 7-1, while the Dolphins held off the defending champion Batangas Bulls, 11-8, to advance to the Final Four where they would only need a victory to reach the best-of-three championship series.

Manila faces fourth-seed Alabang while Cebu takes on Batangas again in the semis slated on Saturday, also at the Taguig diamond.

The Dolphins scored five runs in the pivotal fifth inning with Miggy Corcuera and Lorenzo Ubungen hitting two-run RBIs as Cebu turned a 1-2 deficit into a 6-2 lead before holding off the Bulls’ fightback in the last frame to clinch the victory.

Cebu scored first on a double by Edmer Del Socorro to send home Jonash Ponce, who also doubled. But Batangas’ Teddy Landicho cashed in on a throwing error to
tie the game before Vio Roxas scored a run on a sacrifice fly by Charles Catangui in the fourth inning for a 2-1 Bulls’ lead.

National team mainstay Charlie Labrador and Jon Jon Robles took care of the mound and yielded only a run and five hits as the Sharks regained the lead with a
4-1 slate in the tournament presented by Dunkin Donuts and organized by Community Sports Inc.

Christian Galedo drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning to score Nino Tator, who walked, reached second and third after the Patriots failed to draw an
out on Marvin Malig and Ricardo Jimenez.

A double by Ramil Empacis in the third inning sent home Bambol Servo, who also doubled, before Empacis scored on another double by Francis Candela.

The Sharks went 5-0 in the sixth on an RBI single by Saxon Omandac, scoring Empacis after he advanced to third on a walk. Empacis and Galedo added an RBI
each in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively.

Taguig broke a scoring spell on in the eighth, when Christian de Leon hit an RBI double to score Evert Balderrama, who singled and advanced to second on a
passed ball.

The tournament is sponsored by Gatorade, Industrial Enterprises Inc., Philippine Transmarine Carriers Inc., Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park, Genesis
Transport Services with the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and DZSR Sports Radio as partners.(pr)

Linescores:

First Game
Manila                   100 202 101  7  10  0
Taguig                   000 000 010  1   5  1

Second Game
Cebu                     100 052 012   11  15  6
Batangas                 000 201 113   8    9  4