Dolphins repeat over Uni-Bikers
by Jonas Terrado
Dolphins 17, Uni-Bikers 11
After two weeks of waiting for the weather to cooperate, the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium endured yet another heavy downpour. It was not the rain, though, but a string of runs.
And for the Cebu Dolphins, they also ended a long wait of keeping their slim semifinal hopes alive by repeating over the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers, 17-11, in a rare Independence Day baseball affair.
The Series 4 champions raced to an early 8-0 advantage, forced the Uni-Bikers to tie the game in the seventh frame before pulling away in the eighth inning to end a three-game losing skid.
Cebu improved to 5-4 and forced a resumption of their suspended game against the Manila Sharks. But the Dolphins failed to complicate things in order to gain the second-and-last outright semis berth after the Sharks won, 10-9, in 12 innings.
With national team players Joseph Orillana, Fongs Rances and Jonash Ponce out because of an indefinite suspension, hefty first baseman Miggy Corcuera came through early for the Cebu batters with a two-run single in the third inning hitting a solo homer in the next frame for an 8-0 advantage.
However, just when the Dolphins were on the verge of pulling away, the Uni-Bikers slowly mounted a comeback.
Marlon Caspillo highlighted a four-run binge in the fourth with a one-run homer, his second of the tournament, while two errors by the Cebu defense in the enabled Dumaguete to tie it up at 11-11 in the seventh frame.
But Sebastian Uichico doused some cold water on the fiery comeback as hit delivered home Jonard Pareja on a single to give the Dolphins a 12-11 advantage. Corcuera and Bacchus Ledesma followed it up with a pair of two-run hits to complete a six-run spree in the eighth frame to seal the win.
The power-hitting Corcuera starred for Cebu as he three hits in four times he batted and tallied five RBIs (runs-batted-in), including his second home run of the tournament.
With the absence of their national team stars, the Dolphins added pitcher Lorenzo Ubungen to their roster and he didn't disappoint. He had two singles and a homer while retiring six of the last seven batters to pick up the win.
Caspillo and Bambol Servo led Dumaguete with three hits apiece but it was enough for them to end the classification round by losing its last four games for a 3-7 record.
The Uni-Bikers used four pitchers in the game as they were affected by the absence of RP team hurler Darwin dela Calzada. They also played without Edmer del Socorro and Andro Cuyugan, who likewise, was also suspended by the league.