Blue Thunder shock Bulldogs in PNG opener

MANILA, Philippines - PRISAA champion Rizal Technological U pounced on an erratic UAAP titlist National U and carved out a shock 5-4 victory at the start of baseball competitions in the POC-PSC National Games at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

John Christopher Leis dashed home off an RBI to left by Justin Payongayon in the bottom seventh to score the winning run and send the Blue Thunder to the early lead in Group B.

In Group A, the national team leaned on the last-inning exploits of Jonash Ponce to escape with a 3-2 squeaker over the Phl junior team. 

The RTU Blue Thunder actually prevailed despite getting outhit by the Bulldogs, 4-7, gaining from the five errors committed by an NU side that missed some members of its champion team in the first day of action.

Leis singled, advanced to second and third off back-to-back walks issued by NU closer Erison Villame and went all the way to the plate off Payongayon’s single to break a 4-4 standoff and secure the triumph.

Payongayon earlier joined hands with Christian Maghanoy and Loyd Arago in pouncing on three fielding miscues by NU to give RTU three runs and a 4-3 lead in the sixth frame. However, NU’s Herxel Fortunato got into scoring position and capitalized on a passed ball to forge the game-tying run. 

Jonash Ponce slammed a home run in the bottom 10th to propel the National clouters to the victory in their very first trip on the diamond since ruling the last SEA Games in Indonesia.

“This is our first official game after the SEAG and our next major tournament will be in July yet at the Asia Cup in Bangkok. We’re just starting on our skills training after having completed our strength and conditioning training so the players are at about 65 percent right now,” Phl IX coach Edgar delos Reyes said in Filipino.

With two outs, Ponce whacked a 3-1 pitch from juniors’ closer Alpha Turaray to send the ball to the left-field post and author the marginal run against the tough junior batters.

Ponce, who actually broke the wooden bat twice in the opening match of the PNG baseball wars, also earned an incentive worth P500 from Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (Paba) president Hector Navasero.

The SEAG champs could have actually ended it all at the bottom ninth, when they filled the bases with no outs. 

But Saxon Omandac misconstrued Delos Reyes’ instructions for a fake bunt and swing, going instead for a bunt that the catcher grabbed for the first out. Next batter Rommel Roja was struck out then Fulgencio Rances had a fly out to center, leading to the extra inning.