Japanese, RP clouters stay on track

The Philippines made short work of India yesterday, 7-0, but it was defending champion Japan that made the biggest noise by whipping Indonesia, 14-0, in the seventh Asian men’s softball tournament at the Rizal Memorial ballpark.

The Blu Boys entered the morning game still fresh from a similar 7-0 win over the Iranians the other day and only needed five innings in beating the Indians for their second straight regulated victory in the eight-nation tournament last held in 1998.

Two hours later, the Japanese followed suit, needing just a little push to beat the Indonesians in four innings and, like the Blu Boys, improve their record to 2-0. It was also the second regulated victory for Japan following its 10-0 demolition of Thailand in Saturday’s opener.

Under the International Softball Federation mercy rule, a regulated victory is registered if any team leads by 15 runs after three innings, 10 after four or seven after five. Abbreviated victories are registered only if a game is stopped due to rains, darkness, fights or any other technicality.

The eight teams were divided into two groups with Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand in Group A, and the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, India and Iran in Group B. After today’s closing games in the elims, the cross-over Page System semis will be held tomorrow and the finals on Thursday.

As it is, the Philippines is on the right track in its projected finals showdown with Japan. If that happens, the Blu Boys will earn the chance to avenge the painful 2-1 loss to the Japanese in the title match almost five years ago.

Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong climbed to 2-0 after beating Iran, 8-1, and Thailand, 10-0, in the afternoon matches. The Chinese are hoping that the victory will serve them in good stead when they meet the Blu Boys today at 3 p.m.

"So far, so good," said Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president Harry Angping, a congressman representing the third district of Manila. He watched the game between RP and India but had to leave soon after the game due to an important meeting.

The Blu Boys took a 1-0 lead on top of the first inning when Mark Rae Ramirez scored a run-scoring single to right field with two outs. Scoring on that hit was Apolonio Rosales who doubled to center off a 2-and-0 pitch by Indian Nayan Gadak.

After a scoreless second inning, the Blu Boys scored three runs in the third on a two-run inside-the-park homerun by Rosales and an RBI double by Manolito Binarao that sent Ramirez to home plate.

Ramirez, a 20-year-old, 190-pounder who plays first base, homered to deep right at the top of the fifth inning and at the same time scored Fidel Moncera who reached first on a catching error by Shobhan Babu. Leading 6-0, the Blu Boys closed out the scoring with another inside-the-park homerun by shortstop Jasper Cabrera.

Florante Acuña pitched five no-relief innings, allowing just one hit (second inning) and two walks while striking out nine of the 16 batters he faced.

The Japanese were so awesome with their bats as they scored a total of 11 runs in the first inning alone – without scoring a homerun. It took almost an hour for the Indonesians to end the scoring spree with a third out.

Indonesian starting pitcher Imperial Zurni walked the first three batters he faced for an early bases-loaded situation. He was immediately relieved by Ahmad Syahroni who didn’t do any better.

The Indonesians, who won the SEA Games gold in 1997 (the last time the sport was played in the biennial event), were nowhere in the contest, their first-inning at-bat lasting only six minutes. Overall, they gave up 18 hits and a couple more bases-loaded situations – on hits and on walks.