Team Standings    W    L

X-Manila        8    1

X-Cebu        7    2

Batangas        4    5

Taguig            3    5

Alabang        2    6

Dumaguete        1    6

X-clinched semifinals berth

Games on Sunday

(Parade Grounds, Clark Field)

9 a.m. Dumaguete vs Batangas

1 p.m. Taguig vs Alabang

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga—Batangas stepped closer to a semifinal berth after blanking Dumaguete, 11-0, Saturday to win its second consecutive game in the Baseball Philippines Series 8 at the Parade Grounds here.

Vladymir Eguia pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine batters as the Bulls scattered 19 hits to improve to a 4-5 win-loss card for their first back-to-back game after losing four straight games.

The Bulls can clinch a semifinal berth today against the Uni-bikers in the first game at 9 a.m. in Clark.

“We are now a complete team. For now, our goal is just make it to the semifinals,” said Batangas coach Randy Dizer.

In the first game, Taguig prevented several comeback bids by Alabang to hack out an 11-8 victory in Baseball Philippines Series 8 at the Parade Grounds here.

The Patriots led 9-4 after five innings then shook off flashes of rallies by the Tigers in the final four innings to gain a one-game lead in the race for the fourth-and-last spot in the semifinals

With the victory, Taguig improved to 3-5 in this league organized by Community Sports Inc. and sponsored by Gatorade, Rawlings, Philippine Transmarine Corporation, The Heritage Park, Emperador Brandy, Victory Liner, Harbour Centre, Clark Development Corporation and Philippine Sports Commission.

The loss sent the Tigers down to 2-6 for fifth place.

Jeff Hardillo had three RBIs while Ka Sulhay Argel scattered three hits in four at-bats as the Patriots won their second game in three outings.

Argel tripled with two outs in the fifth scoring Christian Paul de Leon, who earlier reached first base on an error, for a 9-4 lead.

The Tigers answered with three runs in the eighth as Marco Martinez drilled a one-out RBI single, scoring Julius Visayas then later touched home on a passed ball before Adrian Bernardo drove home older brother Bocboc to cut the deficit to 9-7.

However, Andro Cuyugan hit a groundout with runners in the corners to end Alabang's side. In the bottom half of the same inning, Justin Payongayong drilled a two-run double to left center to put the lead back to four runs, 11-7.

Alabang threatened anew in the ninth when Cuyugan scored from third on a Martinez single with two outs to pull within three runs. The hit also advanced pinch runner Leslie Suntay from first to third.

On the next at-bat, Taguig pitcher Irvin Tuazon made a fielding error that enabled Arcel Aligno to reach base safely, loading the bases for Bocboc Bernardo.

Bernardo, though, swung on the first pitch thrown by Tuazon that resulted in an easy game-ending flyout to right fielder Wilfredo Hidalgo.

The league is also backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and DZSR Sports Radio 918. For details, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com. (PR)