Uni-bikers blaze through

Edmer Del Socorro gets high fives from teammates after launching his first home run of the season, a two-run blast that put Dumaguete on the board in the first inning. (Photo - Joseph Ventura)

Uni-bikers 6, Patriots 2

MANILA - The Forward Taguig Patriots knew that if they were going to have any success in the postseason, they would need to find a way to defeat the Dumaguete Uni-bikers. Unfortunately, their chief nemesis made it six straight wins over the Patriots dating back to their inception in the league last year.

The latest win was an encore performance for the Uni-bikers as they ousted Taguig from the playoffs for the second consecutive time. On Saturday, Dumaguete got the stellar pitching it needed from ace left-hander Darwin Dela Calzada to shut down the Patriots, 6-2, and earned them a ticket against the top-seeded Manila Sharks in the next round.

Edmer Del Socorro and Marlon Caspillo hit successive two-out, two-run home runs in the first inning for all the offense Dumaguete would need and Dela Calzada (5-4) took care of the rest, beating the Patriots for the third time in the past week.

It was arguably the best pitched game of Series 3 for Dela Calzada. The southpaw carried a five-hit shutout into the ninth before the Patriots pushed across its only runs of the game courtesy of a one-out error and a groundout.

The Patriots were handcuffed from the outset as Dela Calzada retired 13 of the 14 first batters he faced. A pair of double plays in the fifth and seventh innings as well as base-running blunders in the sixth and eighth innings cost Taguig any potential rally.

Dela Calzada wound up with a seven-hitter, struck out two, and allowed just a lone walk in going the distance for only the second time this season.

Taguig ace lefty Ernesto Binarao took the complete game loss, surrendering six runs — five earned — on 11 hits and a walk despite striking out a season-high nine.

Dumaguete struck quickly in the first after Binarao retired the first two hitters. Bambol servo reached on an error and Del Socorro followed with his first home run of the season. Del Socorro, who finished 4-for-5 just missed becoming the first BP player to hit for cycle after stroking a double and a pair of singles later in the game.

Francisco Ramos followed with a double before Caspillo went deep for the second time this season to give the Uni-bikers an early 4-0 lead.

Ramos had three hits, including a run-scoring single in the third and an rbi-double in the fifth that pushed Dumaguete's lead to 6-0.

Ryan Garcia had a pair of doubles for the Patriots, but each time was stranded on base. Alejandro Velasquez chipped in with two singles.

After defeating Dumaguete in its inaugural game in Series 2, Taguig has dropped six straight games to the Uni-bikers, including both playoff matches.

BOXSCORE

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