Blu Girls sweep ASEAN softball

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Team Philippines avenged its shocking loss by its men’s squad to Indonesia Friday as the Blu Girls bashed the Indonesians, 8-0, yesterday to complete a four-game sweep of the ASEAN Softball Championships at the Victoria Institute grounds here.

Pretty Heidilyn Arca, 22, pitched a three-hitter as the Filipinas dominated the Indons and finished the tournament with an unblemished slate, the same feat posted by Indonesia in the men’s side of the event which served as part of the RP team’s preparations for the SEA Games in Manila in November.

"Para sa bansa ito, pati na rin sa men’s team," said RP team coach Rolly Malaguit, referring to the men’s team’s 3-5 loss to Indonesia the other day in a setback that spoiled its bid for a sweep of both divisions.

So dominating were the Blu Girls that they completely shut down all four teams in the tournament while needing just 19 innings to finish them off, impressing RP softball chief and delegation head Harry Angping.

The RP teams’ stint here was backed by the Philippine Sports Commission chaired by William "Butch" Ramirez, Jean Henri Lhuillier, Accel and Burlington Socks.

"This must be a record of sorts for us," said Angping, who was also accompanied by his secretary-general and RP men’s team coach Eufracio dela Cruz. "I hope we will continue to play like this when we host the SEA Games this November."

Finishing faster than the Filipinas were the Blu Boys, who vented their ire on the Malaysians in a 10-0 rout at Field A of this 91-year-old government-owned school built in honor of then British Queen Victoria. It was their third win in four games to finish second behind Indonesia (4-0).

Arca actually went through some anxious moments in the early going. With only one out and all the bases loaded, the Tanza, Cavite-based University of the Philippines standout struck out Elfira S. and forced Tineke Huwae to fly out to left fielder Kimster Liwas, stranding the three Indons on board atop the first inning.

With Nelia Lara flying out to shortstop Anila Sari, Esmeralda Tayag, a 20-year-old stunner who recently graduated at the University of Santo Tomas with an education degree, belted one over the centerfield fence to score fellow Guagua, Pampanga native Elaine Caladio for a two-run homer that triggered an eight-run RP binge in the second inning.

Softball notes: Aside from sizing up the opposition in the 23rd SEAG slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5 in RP, Angping went here to convince one more team to join in the men’s side of the biennial event since only the Indonesians and the Malaysians have confirmed their participation in the biennial meet. He failed to persuade the Thais but succeeded in the Singaporeans, completing the four-nation minimum requirement for a sport to be part of the calendar…Two surprise RP team visitors, Eden Locsin, accompanied by son Edenjohn, endured a five-hour bus ride from Singapore to this bustling city just to see and cheer for her daughter third baseman Joan. Joan and the rest of the Blu Girls responded by gifting her mother and brother, both overseas contract workers, with a lopsided win. "Happy po ako nung nakita sila, kaya ginanahan ako," said Joan.