Batangas, Manila clouters seek title showdown

MANILA, Philippines - Batangas and Manila try to arrange a showdown for Dunkin’ Donuts Baseball Philippines Series VII crown as they take on Alabang and Cebu, respectively, in the semifinal round at the Felino Marcelino Baseball Stadium in Taguig City today.

The Bulls, who swept the single round elims among six teams, and the Sharks, who emerged No. 2, need only to win once over their respective rivals to set up the best-of-three title clash. But the Tigers and the Dolphins are both going all out to foil the top-seeded bets and force a pair of sudden deaths for the final berths.

Batangas goes up against fourth-seed Alabang at 9 a.m. while Manila, backed by Harbour Centre, battles Cebu at 1 p.m.

Batangas is tipped to cruise to the finals after finishing the elimination round with a 5-0 record in the league presented by Dunkin’ Donuts and organized by Community Sports Inc.

The Bulls ripped the Tigers, 12-2, and the Sharks edged the Dolphins, 5-4, in their elims encounters.

“We hope to be mentally prepared for Cebu since we only have one day to prepare,” said Manila coach Jhoel Palanog. “We will still rely on our pitching and hopefully, our batting will also play a key role.”

The league is sponsored by Gatorade, Rawling’s, Industrial Enterprises Inc., Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Harbour Centre and The Heritage Park with the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and Sports Radio 918 AM as partners.