National player Joseph Orillana blasted a lead-off home run in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie before the Dolphins scored two runs in the seventh and ninth inning to gain insurance runs.

It was the Dolphins’ third title overall after their Series 2 and 4 conquest while halting the dynasty of Manila after winning the three previous crowns.
Orillana, who is coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him in the playoffs, belted the 1-1 pitch of Warren Vispo for a home run as the Dolphins regained control after the Sharks tied the game at the bottom of the third.

Christian Maghanoy issued only six hits and a run in seven innings as Cebu’s starting pitcher while Ronel Peralta had a one-hit relief effort against the Sharks to claim the sweep of the title series in the Community Sports Inc.-organized league.

Joennard Pareja, also of the Dolphins, led the cast of individual awardees in the league after capturing the MVP of the elimination round. Miggy Corcuera took home the Jun Bernardino Award for his attitude on and off the field.

Lorenzo Ubungen, who was instrumental to Cebu’s Game 1 victory, was adjudged as the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Pareja started the scoring load for Cebu with an RBI double in the top of the third but Edward Landicho answered with a run-scoring single at the bottom of the inning.
After Orillana’s four-bagger, Ubungen and Ram Casey Alipio had run-scoring hits in the seventh before the Dolphins made it a five-run lead on RBIs by Alipio and Miggy Corcuera in the ninth.

Other individual awardees include Ricky Jimenez of Dumaguete (Best Manager), Jarus Inobio of Manila (Most Stolen Base), Adrian Bernardo of Alabang (Most RBIs and Best Hitter), Ferdinand Liguayan of Dumaguete (Best Pitcher) and Tino Ubungen of Alabang (Home Run King).

In the battle-for-third, Dumaguete scored eight runs in the eight to earn a come-from-behind win over Alabang, 6-4.

The league is sponsored by Gatorade, Emperador Light, Clark Development Corp., Harbour Centre, Philippine Transmarine Corp., Summit Water and Eagle Sky Inc. with backing from Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.
For more information, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com andwww.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.

Cebu and Manila face each other for the second consecutive time in the finals with the Dolphins looking to bounce back after being swept by the Sharks in Season 8.

Cebu finished the eliminations as the top-seeded team with an 11-4 record and advanced to the championship round by defeating the Alabang Tigers in the semifinals.

Manila, the defending champion and third ranked team, took a harder route, overcoming the twice-to-beat advantage of Dumaguete in the semifinals to arrange another title duel with Cebu.

With both teams no stranger to each other in the postseason, coaches of the Finals protagonists admitted said the series is too close to call when asked to assess their chances in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s U.N. Ave.

“Mahirap sabihin kung ano mangyayari sa series pero kung sino ang makakuha ng Game 1, malaki ang pag-asa na makaderecho na,” said Cebu Dolphins coach Isaac Bacarisas, who was accompanied by his players Joennard Pareja, Lorenzo Ubungen and Ram Casey Alipio.

Manila is shooting for its fourth consecutive title but the team admits that Cebu can match-up well against them.

“The last two championships that we had, we swept Batangas and Cebu but this time siguro, mahirap mag-predict dahil maganda ang match-up ng mga teams,” said Manila coach Jhoel Palanog, who was joined in the forum by assistant general manager Eric Cadavillo and player Emerson Atilano.

Game 1 of the best-of-three series is set at 1 p.m. Saturday, with Game 2 to be played the following day. Game 3, if necessary, will be played on July 21.

A two-run single by Jonash Ponce started off the first inning before the national team, preparing for various international tournaments this year, scored three runs in the sixth.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas threw the ceremonial pitch as he reiterated his support to the baseball-playing children.

The US Embassy has been a staunch supporter of the sport donating baseball uniforms and equipment to less fortunate kids especially in the Smokey Mountain area.

“We have joined various groups like the Manila Jaycees, Gawad Kalinga, JCI and other groups who sponsor baseball. It’s a great game and it allows the kids to have fun and do something,” said Thomas.

The Smokey Mountain lost to the Philippine Barakos, 7-1, in five innings in the first game.
“The team had a chance to play at Rizal Memorial and for them, that’s a big deal. It’s something that I hope that the government will support.”

The event is also sponsored by Gatorade, Junior Baseball Softball Foundation of the Philippines, JCI Manila, Emperador Lights, Clark Development Corporation, Smokey’s Sausages, Summit Water, Harbour Centre, Dunkin Donuts and Eagle Sky Corporation.

It is also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.

Run-scoring hits by Emerson Atilano, Jennald Pareja and Edward Landicho propelled the Sharks back from a 4-1 deficit to take the lead before preventing a late rally by the Uni-Bikers to snare a win in the rain-drenched affair.

By securing this back-and-forth battle, Manila completed its stunning upset of the Dumaguete where it overcame a twice-to-beat disadvantage to secure its fifth consecutive finals appearance.

The Sharks, shooting for a four-peat, will face the Cebu Dolphins in a best-of-three title affair that will start on July 14 in a rematch of their Series 8 duel won by the former.

It’s the fourth meeting of both teams in the finals. Cebu won Series 2 in 2007 before Manila took Series 6 and 8.

Manila became the third team to defeat a team with a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.

Ironically, Dumaguete pulled off the trick twice, in Series 3 over Manila and Series 4 opposite Taguig.

This time, it was the Uni-Bikers who fell victim.

“We just took it one game at a time,” said coach Jhoel Palanog. “We didn’t care if we needed to win twice but we our pitching and hitting clicked at the right time.”

The Sharks appeared to have folded early when Bambol Servo’s two-run double set up a three-run first inning for the Uni-Bikers.

Manila fell behind 4-1 after the second frame but erupted for four runs in the fourth that started with a two-run double by Atilano, who drove a deep flyball near the left-field wall allowed two runners to score, trimming the margin to a run.

On the next at-bat, the diminutive Pareja drilled a single to centerfield to score two runners as the Sharks grabbed a 5-4 lead.

The Big City batters later padded their lead to 10-4 when they add five runs in the sixth highlighted by a pair of run-scoring bunts by Landicho and Kelly Culubong.

Servo, who finished with four RBIs off three hits, pulled the Uni-Bikers to within two runs but a 30-minute delay due to a heavy downpour in the eighth inning, along with harmless single in the ninth enabled Manila to move on.

It was a disappointing finish for the young Uni-Bikers, who entered the semis tied with Cebu for the best record at 11-4.

Dumaguete’s first attempt at a third-ever finals berth was foiled by Manila, which posted a 6-1 win on June 24 to force a rubber match.

No less than United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas will be the special guest of the event organized by Community Sports Inc. in celebrating the storied friendship between both countries.

Commissioner Jolly Gomez of the Philippine Sports Commission will also grace the event to give his opening remarks.

The highlight of the event is the clash between the league’s All-Star players against the Philippine national team, which is preparing for the World Baseball Classic qualifiers this November, at 11:30 a.m.

An exhibition game between the Philippine Barakos and the Smokey Mountain team along with fun games are also on tap in the affair which starts at 8:30 a.m.

Kids will also be treated with a youth clinic with different coaches and Baseball Philippines All-Stars right after the exhibition games.

The event is sponsored by Gatorade, Junior Baseball and Softball Foundation of the Philippines, JCI Manila, Emperador Light, Clark Development Corporation, Smokey’s Sausages, San Miguel Foods, Harbour Center, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.

For more information, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.

The Dolphins opened the game with five runs in the first inning before splurging seven in the fourth to run away with the victory and claim a berth in the best-of-three championship series set July 14.

Top-seeded Cebu, holding a twice-to-beat incentive in the semifinal, dropped the opening match against Alabang, 9-6, but bounced back in a big way to move into the finals of the Community Sports Inc.-organized league.

“The twice-to-beat advantage we had was really crucial for us,” said Cebu coach Isaac Bacarisas. “We were able to recover.”

Joennard Pareja began the game with a triple before scoring on a wild pitch. Aprix Santos walked with the bases loaded while Miggy Corcuera, Ram Alipio and Santos crossed home plate on an error, 5-0, at the top of the first.

Cebu was leading, 6-2, when the Dolphins exploded in the fourth on just three hits on run-scoring plays by Ubungen, Alipio and Santos.

Ubungen added a solo home run in a four-run eighth to increase Cebu’s lead to 17-4, a gap that was only decreased when Alabang tallied five runs in the bottom of the eighth.

The league is sponsored by Gatorade, Emperador Light, Clark Development Corp., Harbour Centre, Philippine Transmarine Corp., Summit Water and Eagle Sky Inc. with backing from Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.

For more information, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.

Ubungen had a three-RBI day including a home run—the first of a back-to-back—at the expense of his brother Lorenzo in the first inning to help the Tigers stave off elimination.

The Tigers and the Dolphins meet again on July 1 with the winner advancing to the finals against either Manila or Dumaguete, whose series also extended to a deciding game last Sunday.

Carlos Laurel singled before Tino Ubungen sent Lorenzo Ubungen’s pitch to the left field stands. Matt Laurel also homered in the next at bat to right field giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Joennard Pareja double, reached third on a Johndel Tolosa single and scored on an error while Tolosa also advanced to home plate on a double play to slice the gap to one run, 3-2, in the bottom of the first for Cebu.

But Alabang answered in the fifth with Ubungen hitting a single to score Adrian Bernardo, who started the inning with a single and stepped on second base after a Carlos Laurel single. Bernard Siatong singled home Carlos Laurel to make it 5-2.

After another run for Cebu in the bottom of the fifth, the Dolphins’ sloppy play earned the Tigers two runs in the seventh as Carlos Munoz scored on a passed ball and Jay Laurel advancing home on a steal.

An RBI double by Bernardo padded Alabang’s lead to 9-4 even as Cebu scored two runs in its final at bat to no avail.

Delos Reyes led the way for the Sharks yielding only a run in three and one-thirds innings of play before Gian Llaguno, Kelly Culubong and Emerson Atilano blasted run-scoring hits in the fourth and never looked back.

With the win, the third-seed Sharks extended the series to a rubber match on Sunday and kept their bid for a fourth straight crown alive in the Community Sports Inc.-organized league.
“We won’t give this series away that easy,” said Manila coach Jhoel Palanog. “The guys accepted the challenge and they stuck with our game plan of pitching and defense.”
The Uni-bikers came in the game with a twice-to-beat incentive but the Sharks took command in the fourth.

Edward Landicho and Fernando Badrina walked and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Francis Gesmundo. Llaguno and Culubong pushed home Landicho and Badrina with a single before Mark Ong stole third and home to score.

Atilano followed suit with a base hit to right field to score Culubong to give Manila a 4-0 lead.
Dumaguete scored on a double by Mike Gante but Jayson Dimacutac came into the mound to replace Delos Reyes issuing no runs on seven hits after that while the Sharks scored a run each in the fifth and seventh.

The league is sponsored by Gatorade, Emperador Light, Clark Development Corp., Harbour Centre, Philippine Transmarine Corp., Summit Water and Eagle Sky Inc. with backing from Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association and the Philippine Umpires Association.

For more information, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.

Dio Remollo had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Uni-bikers onslaught as they tie the Dolphins on top of the standings but took the second spot in a tiebreak.

Dumaguete hopes that the win will give the Uni-bikers a morale boost going into the semifinals as they face the three-time defending champion Manila Sharks with a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.

The Uni-bikers scattered nine hits to break away from a 4-4 tie after the fifth inning to wrap up the elimination round with 11 wins.

The Tigers started out with one run in the bottom of the second but the Uni-bikers answered with three runs at the top of the third to tie the game.

Dumaguete took the lead at the top of the fifth inning with Karl Peralta pushing in a run but Alabang tied the game again at the bottom of the fifth.

But the Uni-bikers pulled away in the sixth after scoring three runs in that frame. Dumaguete also scored two in the seventh and five in the ninth.

The Patriots found consolation in their campaign when they defeated the Batangas Bulls, 6-3, last June 17 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium to finish Series 9 in fifth place.

Taguig, which finished Series 9 with a 4-11 win-loss record, came from behind scoring two runs each in the bottom of the seventh and eighth inning after trailing by 3-1 midway in the sixth.

Justin Payongayong led off in the bottom of the sixth with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stepped third when Ronald Bocalan made it to first base on an error. Payongayong scored on a double steal to close the gap further to one run.

Taguig pulled away in the seventh after Irvin Tuazon scored on a throwing error during Batangas’ relay throw after Roque Sillabe singled. Batangas’ miscue also allowed Sillabe to advance to third and scored on the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly by Gil Encarnado.

The Patriots made it 6-3 when Tuazon slammed a two-run triple in the eighth scoring Bocalan and Conrado Quitchon, who reached base on a fielders’ choice and single respectively.

Tuazon was also the winning pitcher after yielding three runs and seven hits in seven and two-thirds innings. Payongayong preserved the win issuing no hits in the final two innings of play.

Batangas, the Series 8 third placers, slumped to 3-12.