Streaking Blu Boys strike Indonesians

After a virtual no-contest versus Malaysia Monday, Team Philippines found some challenge against Indonesia yesterday but won handily just the same in Day Two of the SEA Games baseball competition at the Rizal Ballpark.

With pitcher Ernesto Binarao yielding eight hits, the RP clouters leaned on hitting and on field defense to whip the Indonesian side, 11-5, for a second straight win in the five-nation tourney.

"Binarao was having a hard time with the umpire. So I instructed him to just give it to the Indonesians at strike zone and we would depend on our fielders," said RP coach Edgar delos Reyes.

The RP fielders responded to the challenge and the team tagged Indonesian pitchers Yudharana Chindy, Lukman Kurnia and Muhammad Abar with 10 hits in fashioning out the victory under the heat of mid-morning sun.

"The boys are showing extra ordinary determination. If they continue to play like that, we would really emerge champion here," said RP baseball president Hector Navasero.

Team Philippines, highly fancied to win the gold medal in the first staging of this discipline in the biennial games, next faces Myanmar at 2 p.m. today.

Myanmar blasted Malaysia, 19-1, in the day’s other game. — Jose Bimbo Santos