Cebu burns Taguig's tired ace to get win

Taguig scores a run. (Photo - courtesy of owner)

The Cebu Dolphins were finding ways to get one up against Forward Taguig's new ace pitcher Darwin dela Calzada.

At the start, dela Calzada was in cruise control and with some help from the Patriots' offense, the Dolphins fell behind early.

Cebu eventually came back to tie the game and then capitalized on dela Calzada's tired arm with a five-run eighth to score a 7-2 comeback victory Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Eager to beat the fancied Dolphins, Taguig gambled on keeping the lefty pitcher of the RP national team to ensure a win despite throwing 111 pitches, 61 more than the mandated 50-pitch count for a player to be eligible to throw the next game.

But the plan backfired big time and it was the Dolphins who reaped the rewards as three men walked, with one scoring the go-ahead run, and two made a pair of run-scoring singles to pull away with the victory.

With the victory, the squad of coach Saki Bacarisas, reportedly being eyed as the new coach of National University in the UAAP, joined the Manila Sharks and the Alabang Tigers for a share of the early lead after the league's first weekend.

"They (Patriots) have no choice but to burn dela Calzada because they want to win the game," said Bacarisas. "We knew it would happen and we capitalized on it."

The Dolphins started dela Calzada's misery as leadoff batter Jonard Pareja walked then advanced to second after veteran Fongs Rances bunted and reached safely to first when the Patriots made a defensive lapse.

Joseph Orillana then drew a walk on four pitches to load the bases. Fil-American Florentino Ubungen, the team's starting catcher, likewise got a free pass that allowed Pareja to score the go-ahead run, 3-2.

From there, it was all Cebu. Burly first baseman Miggy Corcuera drilled a hit underneath dela Calzada's glove to drive home Rances and Orillana. Centerfielder Jonash Ponce followed suit with a short bouncer that pulled Ubungen home, making it a 6-2 lead and never looked back.

After that, Taguig coach Felino Francisco had seen enough. Dela Calzada, who had four strikeouts but walked four runners in eight innings of work, swapped places with first baseman Fernando Badrina but the damage had been done.

It was a disappointing loss for the Patriots, who was hoping to get back from a disappointing Series 5 campaign when they lost 10 of 11 games.

Despite the departure of former ace Ernesto Binarao to the debuting Pampanga Sand Kings, they beefed up the team with some new additions such as dela Calzada, who came over from the hibernating Dumaguete Uni-Bikers.

Taguig was poised to show everyone that it can compete in Series 6 as it gained a 2-0 lead in the third. Dela Calzada hit a sacrifice fly to score Richard Siacor while Christian de Leon singled to bring home Evert Balderama.

But Cebu tied it up two innings later as starting pitcher Lorenzo Ubungen smashed an RBI single, scoring Corcuera then Ponce touch home from third on a sacrifice fly by Bacchus Ledesma.

Ubungen, a right-handed hurler from San Francisco State, pitched five innings and allowed only two hits and struck out three batters. He too was burned, throwing 75 pitches and is ineligible to toss the next game against the Sharks on Saturday.

"I burned him for this game because I'm planning to give Joseph (Orillana) the ball against Manila," said Bacarisas, whose team battles the Sharks for the early lead on Saturday.

On the same day, the Patriots take on Series 5 champion Batangas Bulls as both clubs seek their first win of the tournament.