MANILA, Philippines - Dumaguete stopped defending three-time champion Manila, 8-7, in 10 innings while Batangas clobbered Cebu, 9-2, in a pair of reversals that marked yesterday’s Baseball Philippines Series 9 and paved the way for another three-way tie for the lead at the Parade Grounds in Clark Field, Pampanga.
Arvin Plaza drove home the winning run with a single off Manila reliever Jayson Dimacutac, scoring Bryan Lumbres and completing the hard-earned victory, their sixth against three losses, to snap the Sharks’ five-game win streak.
Dumaguete held Manila scoreless in the first five innings while scoring three runs of its own but the Sharks grabbed the lead at 7-6 as Edward Landicho blasted a two-run single at the top of the seventh. The Uni-bikers, however, got a break when Dimacutac walked Karl Peralta with the bases loaded to tie the game at the bottom seventh.
Dio Remollo came to bat for Dumaguete with the bases loaded in the bottom ninth but Dimacutac struck out the youngster to force an extra inning.
Dumaguete thus avenged its 8-10 defeat to Manila last May 13 while regaining a share of the lead with its victim and Cebu.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, had no answer to the Bulls’ offense as the latter unloaded five runs in the third to snap its five-game skid.
Meanwhile, Alabang defeated Taguig, 5-4, to move to solo fourth with a 4-5 record in the league backed by Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.
The six teams were still playing their afternoon matches at presstime with Manila facing Cebu, Taguig battling Alabang and Dumaguete up against Batangas.
The league is organized by Community Sports Inc. and sponsored by Gatorade, Emperador Light, Clark Development Corp., Harbour Centre, Philippine Transmarine Corp., Summit Water and Eagle Sky Inc.
For details, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.