Dolphins out to firm up lead vs Mariners

Series II champion Cebu tries to firm up its hold of the solo lead as it clashes with Muntinlupa today in a duel of the leaders in Baseball Philippines’ Series IV at the Rizal Baseball Stadium.

The Dolphins swept the Manila Sharks last week, capping their romp with a 5-3 victory to seize the solo lead with a 4-1 (win-loss) slate in the event organized by Community Sports, Inc.

But they will go up against a tough Muntinlupa side, which is also enjoying top form after four games, winning three for a 3-1 (win-loss) slate and a share of second with the Forward Taguig Patriots.

The Dolphins, who bested the Sharks for the Series II crown last year, hope to keep combining solid hitting with superb pitching as they try to close in on one of the semifinal berths in their 2 p.m. encounter with the Mariners.

“We’ve been playing well lately,” said Cebu team manager Isaac Bacarisas in Filipino. “I feel it’s because we’ve been playing solid in terms of our hitting and pitching.”

The Patriots, meanwhile, take on the skidding Dumaguete Unibikers in the 10:30 a.m. second match of another triplebill which also features the Batangas-Manila clash at 7 a.m.

Forward Taguig rallied from a 6-7 deficit after eight innings and needed catcher Melvin de Castro’s two-run double in the bottom ninth to pull off a come-from-behind 8-7 win over the Bulls, the Series III titlists, their third victory in four starts.

The Unibikers, on the other hand, have lost three of their first five games to drop to solo fourth in the six-team field.

In a duel of struggling team, the Bulls (1-3) try to arrest their skid as they battle the Sharks, one of the pre-tournament favorites who continue to languish at the bottom with a woeful 1-5 mark.

Mizuno, Gatorade, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, Welcoat Paints, Industrial Enterprises, Inc., Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park and Agility Logistics are backing the tournament with the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PABA, Sports Radio and Makisig Sports as partners.