Batangas expansion reaps opening dividends at expense of Uni-bikers

Bulls 14, Uni-bikers 8

MANILA - The Batangas Bulls looked more than an expansion team against the Dumaguete Uni-bikers on formal opening day of Baseball Philippines Series 3 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium on Sunday.

Junifer Pinero scored the tie-breaking run off Dumaguete left-hander Darwin Dela Calzada's two-out wild pitch to spark a three-run eighth inning and the Bulls added three more runs in the ninth for a 14-8 win.

The expansion Bulls saw an early seven-run lead evaporate in the middle innings before mounting their late rally.

Carlo Banzon drove in three runs and scored thrice to lead the Bulls charge. His two-run double in the third inning rolled past CF Richard Tubillo for a two-base run-scoring error to cap a six-run outburst off Dumaguete starting pitcher Bambol Servo and gave Batangas an early 8-1 advantage. Pinero added four hits and drove in two runs while three Bulls scored two runs each. Teddy Landicho chipped in with a pair of RBIs.

Ruel Batuto — who pitched six scoreless innings for the Marikina Shoemakers in Series 2 — got the starting assignment on the mound for Batangas and tossed four effective innings giving up just a lone run on five hits, walked one and struckout another. He did not pick up the win however, as reliever Vladimir Eguia coughed up the Bulls' seven-run cushion by surrendering three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth during a spate of wildness in which the left-hander allowed four walks, uncorked a wild pitch, committed a throwing error, and yielded five hits.

Thereafter, Eguia looked more like the ace that carried the Marikina Shoemakers in Series 2 as he settled down to retire 10 of the last 11 Uni-bikers and picked up the win.

Dela Calzada relieved Servo to open the fourth frame and tossed four scoreless innings to allow the Uni-bikers to claw their way back from the huge deficit. He was saddled with the loss after running out of steam with two outs in the eighth inning when his wild pitch opened the floodgates for the Bulls counter-attack.

Pinero roped a two-out single. Virgilio Roxas followed with a double. Dela Calzada's wild pitch put Batangas ahead to stay. Joseph Apura followed with an rbi-double that Servo (who had moved to center field) misplayed enabling Apura to scramble all the way home with the third run of the inning.

The Bulls would add three more in the ninth on an rbi double by Randy DeLeon, a passed ball by Lito Pulgo, and Banzon's steal of home plate.

DelaCalzada yielded six runs on nine hits and struck out four in six innings of relief. Servo scattered seven hits, gave up eight runs, walked two and struck out one in his first BP stint on the mound.

Batangas put two quick runs on the board in the opening frame courtesy of Pinero's two-run double, one of eight two-baggers in the game for the Bulls.

Dumaguete got one run back in its half of the first on Edmer Del Socorro's rbi single, but left five men on base early as Batangas built an 8-1 lead.

The Uni-bikers exploited Eguia's control issues in the fifth inning as the first five batters reached base. Andro Cuyugan scored on a wild pitch, Marlon Caspillo had an rbi-single, and Del Socorro scored on Eguia's throwing error.

Dumaguete tied the game in the sixth when Francisco Ramos led off with a double and Pulgo followed with a walk. Cuyugan then reached on 2B Gerry Balba's fielding error to score Ramos. Servo followed with an odd bloop triple to drive in two more before Kelly Culubong grounded out to tie the game.

The Uni-bikers blew an opportunity for a bigger inning when Del Socorro followed with a single but was gunned down at home plate when Caspillo roped a double. Del Socorro was instrumental however, in turning an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth to help ignite Dumaguete's rally.

Unfortunately, the outcome of the game was rather anti-climactic for the Uni-bikers.

BOXSCORE

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