Dolphins solve Bulls hex

Dolphins 8, Bulls 4

MANILA - The Cebu Dolphins are not giving up their title aspirations without a fight, even if it means going the entire route of the postseason. After being swept by the Batangas Bulls in the regular season, Cebu figured a way to halt the Bulls' five-game winning streak, exploiting Batangas' sloppy fielding for an 8-4 shelling on Saturday to force a sudden death game in their playoff series.

Emerson Atilano and Miggy Corcuera had three hits apiece, while Fulgencio Rances collected two more and ace left-hander Joseph Orillana (4-3) scattered four hits and struck out three over six solid innings to lead the Dolphins' charge.

What appeared to be a pitcher's duel after two innings quickly dissipated when Cebu peppered Bulls starter Vladimir Eguia by batting around to push across four runs in the third inning on four hits aided by four infield errors.

Jonard Pareja opened the Dolphins third by reaching on 2B Joseph Apura's three-base error and scored on C Jose Jose's miscue. Jerome Bacarisas followed with a single. One out later, Rances roped another single to put runners at the corners. Atilano's rbi-single made it 2-0. After Jeffrey Ardio struck out, Miggy Corcuera stroked a run-scoring single. Jonash Ponce then reached on SS Justin Zialcita's fielding error, scoring Rances to give Cebu a 4-0. Eguia then induced Orillana on an inning-ending groundout.

Batangas got one run back in its half of the third on Teddy Landicho's rbi-single. But Cebu erased any mometum that would have on Atilano's two-run single in the next frame.

The Dolphins increased their lead to 8-1 in the sixth on an rbi-double by Jeffrey Ardio and a run-scoring single by Miggy Corcuera before Batangas tried to mount a late rally.

Jerome Bacarisas, who tried to spell Orillana in the fifth inning, was tagged in the sixth when Landicho rifled a one-out single, advanced to second on a groundout, moved to third on a passed ball and stole home plate to make it 8-2.

The Bulls pushed across two more runs off Bacarisas in the seventh on Carlo Banzon's two-out, two-run triple to cut the lead in half before Dolphins skipper Isaac Bacarisas opted for Orillana, who had moved to the outfield, to return to the mound in the eighth.

Orillana surrendered a two-out double to Virgilio Roxas in the eighth and put two runners on in the ninth, but escaped trouble each time to close out the win for Cebu.

Eguia (3-4) yielded eight runs -- seven earned -- on nine hits and struck out six over 5 2/3 innings to absorb the loss. Randy De Leon finished up for the Bulls.

BOXSCORE

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