JAKARTA ? The Philippines went into the formality of extending its reign as the ASEAN women?s softball champion with a 5-0 blanking of Indonesia-Red in their title showdown Sunday at the Senayan Sports Complex field here.
With their superb hitting power remained undiminished and their defense holding on up to the last outing, the Blu Girls took care of the stubborn stance of their hosts with Syrel Ramos starving the opposition with mere two hits in a four-inning start.
The Indonesians actually held the Blu Girls to a hit in the first two innings until a triple by designated player Julie Mari Muyco started the ball-rolling at the bottom of the third where she also scored on a sacrifice fly by Adamson University team mate Sherrylou Valenzuela.
The Girls of coach Ana Santiago could have just contented in playing for time and concentrated on defending the plate, but a three-hit, three-run attack in the next frame turned what opened up as a close contest into a full-blown rout.
Lovelyn Maganda, another Lady Falcon in the lineup, keyed-off that murderous attack matching Muyco?s three-base-hit in that period before pinchrunner Joan Pioquinto followed Muyco across the plate on a fielder?s choice that had Esmeralda Tayag, safe too, on first.
Dione Macasu, who had earlier been boarded by losing pitcher Puri on balls, was, likewise, sent by Alex Zuluaga home on a sacrifice fly. Veronica Belleza rounded out the Philippines? three-run salvo by driving in Tayag on a single before she was picked off at third while extending her luck.
The Blu Girls, who ruled this same tournament the in 1995 before hibernating for 15 years disposed off the ambitious but outclassed Indonesians with finality with another run in the sixth on a single each by Sarah Agravante and the stocky catcher Maganda.
Five Indonesians actually connected off reliever Belleza and closer Corazon Sobere but a well-nitted defense thrown out by the Blu Girls stifled all attempts for them to reach home.
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