Air Force squads blank foes in national softball

The powerhouse Philippine Air Force squads sustained their romps in the Philippine National Open softball championships yesterday with the men’s team clobbering Bulacan, 19-0, and the women’s side overcoming the tough challenge of Bacolod Seniors, 3-0, in two separate venues.

Pampanga topped Cebu City, 3-1, while Polytechnic University of the Philippines whipped Davao, 9-1, in the other men’s games at the PUP gym.

In women’s competition over at the Rizal Memorial track-oval, the Bacolod Juniors, who are bound for the Junior League World Series in Kirkland, Washington, kept their own splurge with a 5-2 decision over Bulacan.

Adamson Air21 later kept pace with UP-Air Force and the Bacolod Juniors as they notched win No. 3 at the expense of 2002 National Open titlist Rizal Technological University, 7-1.

Manila, which is gearing up for the Big League World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan next month, toppled Laguna, 10-4, for its second win in three starts.

The Bacolod Seniors tied the Manilans at fourth place with identical 2-1 win-loss records as they blanked RTU, 11-0, earlier before bowing to the Airwomen in an exciting afternoon match.

Nimfa Baral and Aileen Abello once again starred for UP-Air Force with both belting out a home-run.

Featuring the stars of the triumphant Philippine team in the recent SEA Games, UP-Air Force proved a tough nut to crack for the Bacolod Seniors who are in deep preparation for the Senior League World Series in Delaware, Maryland.

The two teams, however, are both fancied to make it to the Page System semifinals of this national open revival.

The UP-Air Force pitchers yielded eight hits but their batters pounded the Bacolod Seniors’ own pitchers even more with Baral and Abello combining for five hits.

UP-Air Force ace hurler Corazon Soberre struck out 10 batters in seven innings.