Ardio, Dolphins dominate Mariners, 12-0 by Jonas Terrado
Dolphins 12, Mariners 0
Jeffrey Ardio has always been playing second-fiddle to ace pitcher Joseph Orillana, but this young lefty proved that he can be at par with his celebrated teammate.
Ardio threw a rare shutout performance while the Cebu Dolphins made 13 hits to blank the Muntinlupa Mariners, 12-0, in a shortened seven-inning contest.
Centerfielder Jonash Ponce and shortstop Jerome Bacarisas both contributed three RBIs as the Dolphins made sure that there won’t be a repeat of Saturday’s near-fatal 9-7 victory over the Mariners.
Ponce’s three RBIs performance capped off a productive afternoon for the Zamboanga native as he also made three hits in five times he batted while producing two triples.
But it was Ardio who starred for the Dolphins as he threw for six innings and allowed only three hits and a walk.
Playing second-fiddle to ace Joseph Orillana, Ardio’s effort was that good that he got rave reviews from his team manager Isaac Bacarisas.
“He proved in this game that he can be a good alternative to Joseph,” said Bacarisas in Filipino.
The blowout win, which ended abruptly because of a 10-run mercy rule, enabled Cebu to climb to 6-1 in the team standings and would need another win to claim the first outright semifinals seat.
“Our goal is to get the top spot so right now we are really playing aggressive baseball,” Bacarisas added.
The younger Bacarisas, a 19-year old phenom from Rizal Technological University, drove in the game’s first run when he smacked a hit to right field that scored Orillana from second base.
In the following inning, he pushed the Dolphins lead to 4-0 on a one-out, two-run single to left.
Bacarisas tallied two hits in five at-bats to cap off a productive weekend. He went 5-for-10 with five RBIs in the two-game series against Muntinlupa.
From there, Ponce made his first triple in a four-run sixth frame that pushed home Emerson Atilano, followed by a two-run smack that sent home Gabby Baroque and Atilano that settled the final count.
After winning three straight games, the Mariners fell to their second-straight defeat to fell to an 3-3 record but is still placed third in the team standings.