Manila IX overwhelms Indonesian belles

MANILA, Philippines - Team Manila posted another shutout win, beating Indonesia, 33-0, in the Asia- Pacific big League (16-18) Girls Softball Championship at the Senayan Sports Complex ballpark in Jakarta Monday.

Like in their 48-0 rout of Pakistan in Sunday, the Golden Girls needed only five innings as Veronica Belleza, Amanda Amelia “Bada” La’O, Rizza Bernardino, Annalie Benjamin and Julie Marie Muyco alternated on the mound to anchor Team RP’s lopsided triumph.

The hurlers, fielded in by head coach Filomeno “Boy” Codiñera for an inning each, held the Indonesians to just one hit. They also shone in offense with the 19-year-old Bada hitting five RBIs (runs-batted-in) and Belleza and Muyco belting out a home run each.

Bada cracked a double off the first of three hurlers used by the hosts right in the opening frame that produced two of the Golden Girls 11 runs in the inning.

The Manilans only have to repeat over the Indonesians today and over the Pakistanis tomorrow to clinch the right to represent Asia-Pacific in the World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan next month.

In the Junior League (13-14) boys baseball, the Philippines bucked the loss of its two key players due to illness as it fashioned out an 8-2 victory over Guam.

Over at Surabaya, the Filipino Major Leaguers (11-12) trounced New Zealand, 8-5, for its third straight win.