Bulls burn Sharks in a laugher
by Jonas Terrado
Bulls 17, Sharks 1
The game that was billed as the first acid test for the Batangas Bulls turned into a laugher.
Showing the might that enabled them to win their first six games, the Bulls' offense burned the Manila Sharks via a 13-run sixth inning en route to a convincing 17-1 victory that was abbreviated after seven innings because of a mercy rule.
Batangas exploded for 17 hits, 11 of them came from that inning that was a telling blow in the contest pitting the tournament's top two squads.
Vio Roxas had another strong showing at the plate as he had three RBIs (runs-batted-in) off three hits, including his second home run of the tournament to tie teammate Junifer Pinero for the lead in the said category.
Ericson Eguia, Romar Landicho, Teddy Landicho and Miguel de Rossi combined for nine RBIs in the contest to backstop Roxas while pitchers Vladmir Eguia and Randy de Leon held the Sharks to just four hits.
The victory enabled Batangas to move within a win away from claiming the first outright semifinals slot with an immaculate record of 7-0.
On the other hand, the stinging setback forced Manila to fell to third at 4-2 after the Cebu Dolphins defeated the Alabang Tigers, 9-3, in Muntinlupa City.
Highlighted by a two-run single by Ericson Eguia, Batangas rattled Manila starter Joseph Albindo to take a 4-0 lead in the second frame.
Three innings later, they continued to frustrate the Sharks hurlers, who were hampered by the absence of ace pitcher Charlie Labrador because of a mandatory one-game rest, that started with Roxas.
Roxas, one of the league's best hitters, began that said frame with his 13th career homer off Albindo on a no-out, solo blast. He followed it up by delivering home Teddy Landicho and de Rossi in the said inning for an 11-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, Eguia held Manila to just three hits in five innings before de Leon closed them out with a solid two-inning effort.
De Leon, though, surrendered the Sharks' lone run on a RBI single by Al-Denn Lozada in the seventh.
Manila's top hitters Nino Tator and Rommel Roja failed to get a hit in six combined trips at the plate while Albindo, who was coming off an impressive outing against Cebu last week, struggled against the Bulls to be saddled with the loss.