Dolphins eliminate Pilgrims
Miggy Corcuera is congratulated by teammates after his big three-run home run in the second inning gave Cebu all the momentum it needed for a breakaway win. (Photo - Joseph Ventura)
Dolphins 13, Pilgrims 3
MANILA - The Cebu Dolphins marked another return trip to the semi-finals after demolishing the expansion Antipolo Pilgrims, 13-3, in first round playoff action of Baseball Philippines Series 3 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
A three-run shot by Miggy Corcuera highlighted an 18-hit afternoon while the Cebu's pitching, despite giving up 11 hits, denied the Pilgrims a chance to add more runs early on.
With the victory, the Dolphins earned their third consecutive trip to the semis but will meet the Batangas Bulls, a team that has beaten them twice in Series 3, starting Saturday afternoon.
The wide-bodied Corcuera launched his fifth home run of the season, joining Vio Roxas of the Bulls, with a three-run shot off losing pitcher Fernando Badrina that made a slim 3-2 lead into a comfortable 6-2 margin in the second inning.
Corcuera went 3-for-4 with three rbi ’s in the contest while catcher Fulgencio Rances had three hits as well in five at-bats while touching home plate three times. Jonard Pareja also had three hits and an rbi.
Antipolo went ahead early with a two-run first inning as a Saxon Omandac's double scored Carlo Conge from third while Michael Catolos stroked an rbi-double to score Anthony Olayvar.
But the Dolphins quickly responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame as Emerson Atilano drove home Rances on a single, Corcuera drilled an rbi-double, and Joseph Orillana slapped an rbi-single to regain the lead for good.
Cebu pushed its lead to 10-2 in the seventh, on a run-scoring single by Jerome Bacarisas and an rbi-single by Orillana.
Orillana had another shaky start, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in three innings of work but Jeffrey Ardio, Christian Maghanoy, and Bacarisas picked up the slack by holding the Pilgrims to seven hits and one run the rest of the way.
Olayvar was the lone bright spot for the Pilgrims with three hits in the contest while his teammates struggled to string together a rally after the opening frame.
BOXSCORE
| Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Antipolo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 |
| Cebu | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | x | 13 | 18 | 4 |
| WP: Ardio (4-0) LP: Badrina(3-1) | ||||||||||||
Official line score approved by Baseball Philippines Office of the Commissioner