Team Manila smothers Pakistan with 48 runs

MANILA, Philippines - Team Manila dominated Pakistan as it fashioned out a 48-0 rout in a regulation five-inning in the Asia-Pacific Big League (16-18) Girls Softball Championship at the Senayan Sports Complex grounds in Jakarta yesterday.

Coach Filomeno “Boy” Codiñera used four of his seven-hurler pitching rotation as the Philippine Series champion Manila Golden Girls stamped their class over the hapless Pakistanis.

Only Bada La’O pitched for two frames – in the third and fourth – but not until after starter Melanie Macatangay and first reliever Rizza Bernardino had secured the Filipinas’ victory by taking over in defense in the first two innings. Erica Escanuela worked the fifth inning. 

The Golden Girls tagged two Pakistani hurlers with 32 hits, 11 in the opening frame where Team RP decided the issue with an 11-run explosion.

The Golden Girls, whose trip here is backed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Philippine Sports Commission and former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, never let up and made a 23-run binge in the second, highlighted by a grandslam by catcher Elvie Entrina.

The Filipinas completed their batting order in the first frame and twice in the second in a display of batting prowess that wowed the crowd.

They play the Indonesians at 5:30 p.m. (6:30 in Manila) today.

The hosts, likewise, also demolished the Pakistanis, 23-0, in Saturday’s opener.

In the Major League (11-12) division, Bacolod City trounced Guam, 4-1.

But Bacolod’s Junior Leaguers (12-13) and Senior Leaguers (13-14) failed to arrive here on time due to lack of funds.