Cebu completes semifinal cast
by Jonas Terrado

Dolphins 8, Uni-Bikers 7

In postseason play, one simple mistake could make or break a season but the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers had plenty of miscues that cost them their campaign.

And for the Cebu Dolphins their amazing semifinal streak continues after beating the Uni-Bikers, 8-7, in the other quarterfinal pairing of Baseball Philippines Series 5.

With the Uni-Bikers committing six of their eight errors in the sixth and seventh, the Dolphins shattered a 4-4 tie with two runs apiece in the said innings before staving off a comeback attempt by the Uni-Bikers in the homestretch to earn a place in the Final Four.

Cebu, which is hoping to win its second straight title after bagging the Series 4 title last December, will face the Batangas Bulls in the semifinals on Saturday. The Bulls, who posted a 10-game sweep of the classification round, holds a twice-to-beat advantage over the Dolphins.

It will be the third straight time that both the Bulls and the Dolphins met in the semifinals. Batangas won the first clash in Series 3 before Cebu bounced back in the succeeding tournament.

Both teams eventually went on to capture the championship after winning their respective semifinal series.

For Cebu, it will be their fifth consecutive semifinal appearance, the first team to do so in the league's two-year run.

Jonard Pareja, who earlier hit a single, scored to two throwing errors by Dumaguete reliever Saxon Omandac while Jerome Bacarisas later hit an RBI triple that scored Nico Uichico to give Cebu a 6-4 lead in the sixth before taking an 8-5 lead in the next inning.

But a pair of RBI singles by Mark Cabarutan and Bambol Servo put the Uni-Bikers within one run, 8-7, in the eighth frame before Bacarisas, who pitched in relief of Lorenzo Ubungen, retired the last three batters in the ninth to seal the win.

Centerfielder Jordan Orobia put Cebu on the board when he hit a double to score Jeff Ardio in the second inning only for Marlon Caspillo to deliver home Alberto de Leon in the next frame as Dumaguete tied the game.