Bulls rage to sink Dolphins from playoffs

Bulls 7, Dolphins 5

MANILA - The Batangas Bulls made sure there would be no repeat champion in the young history of Baseball Philippines.

Batangas turned the tables on the Dolphins defense in the fourth inning to build a 6-0 lead then held on to thwart Cebu's quest for a return to the BPCS with a 7-5 victory in Sunday's playoff action at rain-soaked Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

One day after committing four errors that led to four runs in a disastrous third inning enabled Cebu to force this second game, the Bulls charged back by taking advantage of three Dolphins errors in the fourth inning to push across five runs to all but sap any momentum the Dolphins had mustered from game one.

Bulls left-handed ace Vladimir Eguia (4-4) rebounded from yesterday's ineffective outing when he surrendered eight runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings to the Dolphins. The southpaw went the distance this time around, giving up five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven and getting better defense behind him.

Up 1-0 after Virgilio Roxas' RBI single in the opening frame, the Bulls took control of the game in the fourth.

Roxas led off with a double and scored when RF Richard Gomez misplayed Joseph Apura's flyball. Junifer Pinero followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Matt Laurel then reached on SS Jonard Pareja's error to drive in Apura, making it 3-0.

Ericson Eguia followed with a fielder's choice grounder to load the bases. After Jesse Natanauan drew a walk to force in Pinero, Laurel scored on Elcid Angeles' fielder's choice groundout. Natanauan made it 6-0 on LF Jon De Ubago's miscue one batter later before the Dolphins got an inning-ending double play.

Cebu would not go quietly however, finally touching Eguia in the sixth on Miggy Corcuera's two-out RBI-single. In the seventh, Jonard Pareja took Eguia deep for a solo home run to make it 6-2.

But Bulls pinch-hitter Roel Batuto answered with his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the eighth off Bacarisas to somewhat stem the rally.

Nevertheless, the Dolphins pushed across three more runs in their half of the inning on an RBI-double by Corcuera and a two-run home run by Jonash Ponce.

Eguia would then settle down and reach back to retire five of the last seven hitters including the dangerous Joseph Orillana — the potential tying-run — on a ground out to end the game and quell the Dolphins comeback.

It was a test of character for Eguia after his poor outing the day before. The left-hander started strong, retiring 16 of the first 19 hitters he faced as only three balls left the infield to keep Cebu's blue sky machine offense — which averaged 8.5 runs a game entering the contest — in check.

The Dolphins did not help their cause by committing five errors in the game. They stranded seven men on base and could not string a rally until Emerson Atilano's one out walk in the sixth broke the spell.

Jeffrey Ardio (4-1) drew the starting assignment on the mound for the Dolphins in lieu of ace Orillana who could not take the hill, but did not record an out come the disastrous fourth inning. He was charged with four runs on three hits and a walk in three-plus innings to suffer his only loss of the season.

Bacarisas followed with six solid innings of relief, yielding three runs on six hits and a walk, but it was a little too late as the Dolphins' late rally fell short.

Batangas, one of two expansion teams in Series 3, but with a core of players that bannered last season's Marikina Shoemakers, now awaits the winner of the Manila Sharks-Dumaguete Uni-bikers series to dispute the best-of-three BPCS title beginning Sunday.

BOXSCORE

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