Manila belles rip Canadians in opener

MANILA, Philippines - Asia-Pacific representative Manila South immediately flexed its muscle and routed Ontario District 5 of Canada in regulation, 15-0, to jumpstart its title defense in the Big League Softball World Series Monday night at Bruce E. Layton Field in Sussex, Delaware.

The Manileñas flaunted their batting power against the Canadians, bombarding Kayla Wolanski and Samantha Kelly with a combined 15 hits, while Hazel Anque and Mary Louisse Garde presided over the defense with solid pitching.

Krisna Paguican led Manila’s sizzling offensive, batting in three runs and scoring one herself on a 2-for-4 stint, with Lorna Adorable (3-for-4, two RBIs and one run) and Queenie Sabobo (2-for-3, one RBI and two runs) making significant contributions.

Anque manned the mound in the first three innings, yielding a single hit and allowing no earned runs while striking out out seven batters she faced. Garde hurled a one-hitter in one-inning relief job as the holders from the Phl got off to a blazing start in Pool B action.

Manila, whose campaign is sponsored by the ICTSI Foundation and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, seized an early 3-0 lead via error-aided runs by Sabobo and Adorable and a run-scoring single by Sabobo in the first two innings. 

That served as portent of things to come in the third, where the Pinay softbelles exploded with 11 runs off seven hits to pull away, 14-0, and serve notice of their serious intention to retain the 16-18 division tiara.

The Filipinas were slated to gun for their second straight win Tuesday night (Manila time) against  USA East’s Pennsylvania District 32 at Connie Mac Field.

Over at the Senior League Softball World Series, however, Sta. Cruz, Laguna suffered a 0-14 setback at the hands of Latin America’s ASOFEM in Pool A.

The Laguna softbelles couldn’t crack the pitching of Ninoshka Ortiz, managing only three hits against the Puerto Rican who hurled for five innings in the match held at Comiskey Park.

ASOFEM broke out of a scoreless tie with a five-run spree in the fourth frame followed by a nine-run spurt in the next to make shortwork of the Phl squad.

Laguna will try to bounce back Wednesday (Manila time) when they take on host Delaware District 1 at Layton field.