Cebu, Batangas clouters sweep baseball season openers

Series 2 champion Cebu set in motion its title-retention campaign with a 6-2 trouncing of Forward Taguig while expansion team Batangas served notice of its bid with a 14-8 win over Dumaguete at the start of Baseball Philippines’ Series 3 tournament at the Rizal Baseball Stadium yesterday.

Sandy Cerillo and Jeffrey Ardio, taking over from  last season MVP Joseph Orillana, gave up a combined six hits but the Dolphins made up for this with solid defense and superb fielding to fashion out the victory.

Actor/sportsman Richard Gomez, who started at right field, blasted a single to right field that sent second baseman Jonard Pareja home in one of the three runs by the Dolphins in the second inning that turned a 1-2 deficit to a 4-2 lead they never relinquished.

Cebu scored two more runs each in the sixth and ninth innings to complete the win in the tournament organized by Community Sports, Inc

Batangas later peppered Dumaguete with a barrage of runs in the final two innings to fashion out the runaway win in the event backed by Mizuno, Gatorade, Purefoods, Industrial Enterprises, Inc., Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc., Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park and Welcoat Paints.

Manila, runner-up in Series 2, outclassed pilot series champion Makati, 5-0, to join Cebu and Batangas in the early lead.

Shortstop Joseph Apura capped a three-run binge with a two-run home run atop the eighth inning to shatter an 8-all deadlock and key the Bulls’ fiery windup.