Dolphins face Sharks in Cebu showdown

MANILA, Philippines -  Cebu gets a glimpse of Baseball Philippines action as the two-time defending champion Manila Sharks clash with home team Cebu Dolphins this Saturday for the league’s first ever game outside of Luzon.

The second meeting in Series 8 between the two rival squads is set at 1 p.m. over at the Aboitiz Sports Field in Cebu City with the Sharks hoping to get even against the same team that beat them in the first round of the eliminations, 9-7.

“We’re grinding an ax against them,” Manila assistant team manager Eric Cadovilla said during the PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue yesterday.

“We’re anticipating a stronger Dolphins team this time around. So it’s definitely going to be a great game in Cebu,” he added.

The Dolphins have tapped three new Fil-Am recruits – Richard Gamble and brothers Lorenzo and Florentino Ubungen – to boost their title campaign in the league organized by Community Sports Inc. and sponsored by Rawlings and Gatorade.

Lorenzo, who hails from San Francisco, but whose father Dennis, is from San Juan, La Union, said he’s looking forward to the meeting between the two teams that disputed the Series 6 championship won by the Sharks.

 “Definitely, it’s going to be an intense game with a playoff atmosphere,” said Lorenzo, who’s very fond of pop princess Sarah Geronimo, whom he even invited live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 to personally watch the highly anticipated rematch.

Along with Cadovilla, also representing the reigning champions in the forum sponsored by Smart, PAGCOR, Outlast Battery and Shakey’s, were pitcher Charlie Labrador, Saxon Omandac, Roy Baclay and Marvin Malig.

Baseball Philippines executive director Nolan Bernardino said the June 12 meeting between Manila and Cebu could well be a preview of the Finals, considering both squads currently holds a share of the lead with identical 7-1 (win-loss) slates.

“Maaari pong ito na ang preview ng Finals scene natin, although I’m not discounting the other four teams particularly Batangas and Alabang,” said the son of the late PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino.

But Labrador, the brilliant starting pitcher of the Sharks who romped off with the Finals Most Valuable Player in Series 7, admitted Cebu is undoubtedly, the biggest threat to a third straight championship by the team owned by sportsman-businessman Mikee Romero.

“Sila talaga ang malakas na team ngayon,” he admitted.

“Nasa amin ang pressure dahil sa Cebu kami maglalaro,” Malig butted in. “Sigurado, ang hometown susuportahan sila.”

Like the Sharks, the Dolphins are just as eager to meet them again in the preliminaries, and hopefully, later in the championship round.

“They’re the team to beat,” said Gamble of Manila. “Every time we face, it’s always a battle. Hopefully, we’ll face them in the finals again.”