Lady Falcons, Legends clash for softball plum

MANILA, Philippines – Adamson University-Manila and the Legends of Pampanga disposed off separate semifinal round opponents to set the stage for their winner-take-all title showdown for the women’s division championship of the Cebuana Lhuillier National Open softball tournament yesterday at the Rosario Sports Complex in Pasig City.

The Lady Falcons bundled out the Ateneo-Air Force combine, 11-4, in five innings to gain another bid for a breakthrough win after four stints in the finals.

The Pampangueñas, a team made up mostly of past softball heroines and reinforced by former University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, needed all of the regulation seven innings to edge Adamson U-Cavite, 2-1, and prevented what could have been an unprecedented all-Lady Falcons finale in the tournament supported by Pera Padala, Phiten, Le Soleil de Boracay, Just Jewels and Mizuno.

Defending men’s champion Air Force worked behind pitcher Sonny Boy Acuna’s one-hit job in a 9-0 shutout triumph over El Caviteño to prepare itself to defend the title they won last year in Lipa City against late Final Four entry Taguig City.

Taguig banked on a grand slam homerun by Oscar Bradshaw in the fifth to upend Rizal Technological University of Mandaluyong City, 6-1, at the lower half of the men’s semis.