Manila softbelles romp past Moreno Valley, San Bernardino

MANILA, Philippines — Team Manila-Philippines churned out another pair of lopsided results, shutting down Moreno Valley, 16-0, and San Bernardino, 10-0, on the second day of group play in the PONY World Series 18-U Girls Softball Championships at the Diamond Valley Park inside the Valley-Wide Recreation District in Hemet, California Thursday.

Glory Alonzo twirled a three no-run inning, limiting Moreno Valley to just four hits to power the Manila batters in the first match of a double header.  The 17-year-old from the Domingo Lacson National High School in Negros Occidental also made two defensive stops and came through with a one-run homerun.

The Big City softbelles, whose trip here is backed by Mayor Joseph Estrada and the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), scored seven straight runs right at the bottom of the first, sparked by a two-run homer by the 15-year-old Alexandria Romero-Salas, followed by another two-run homerun by outfielder/catcher Alaiza Talisik. Center fielder Khrisha Cantor capped the charge off a base hit by third baseman Madaelene Domaug.

Another two-run homerun at the bottom second was completed by first baseman/pitcher Cleofe Magsayo after a couple of one-run homeruns each by pitcher Alonzo and shortstop Angelu Gabriel, including an RBI each by Romero-Salas and Cantor to complete the abbreviated victory going into the bottom of the third.

Alma Tauli also turned in another superb pitching job and silenced the San Bernardino Blake crowd with five strike outs, two defensive stops, and three no run innings.

The 15-year-old Magsayo took over on the mound at the top of the fourth inning and gave an impressive performance with three strike outs and two no run innings.

She also keyed Team Manila’s scoring spree at the bottom of the first with a one-run homerun for a 2-0 lead, followed by another homerun by shortstop Gabriel and a run each by Magsayo and Romero-Salas off a base hit by outfielder/catcher Talisik at the bottom of the third inning.

Third baseman Domaug added another homerun at the bottom of the fourth, a run off a catching error by Romero-Salas and run each by Cantor and Chavez of a base hit by Domaug for a 10-0 win at the bottom of the fifth in regulation time.

“We have to stay focused and be not too confident,” said head coach Anna Santiago.

The Manila softbelles face the San Jacinto Mayhem Friday (today in Manila) to determine the group’s frontrunner for the cross-over elimination round to the semifinals and the World Series crown.