12-game bill kicks off national softball Open

MANILA, Philippines – A heavy 12-game bill, six each in the men’s and women’s divisions, ushers in the 2009 Cebuana Lhuillier-National Open Grandslam 3 Softball Championships Saturday at the Rosario Sports Complex in Pasig and the Sto. Niño ballpark in Marikina.

Both the defending men’s champion Air Force and women’s titlist University of the Philippines will see action right in the inaugural day with the Airmen testing the mettle of Antipolo at 7:30 a.m. in the mainer of the six-game schedule at the Rosario softball field.

The Lady Maroons start defense of their title won last year also in Lipa when they take on top contender Adamson University-Manila at 1 p.m. at the Sto Niño grounds.

Other men’s level games pit Rizal Technological University against Antipolo I, Taguig against Dasmariñas-Cavite, Cebu Province against Montalban, Rizal, Cabuyao, Laguna against La Salle-Lipa and Cavite City against Calamba, Laguna, all in Rosario.

In women’s play, it will be the Pampanga Legends against UC-Baguio, Adamson-Cavite against UP-2, RTU-1 against Ateneo-Air Force and RTU-2 against Legends.

Fourteen teams are entered in the men’s categories, which are divided into two groups with Air Force heading aspirants in Group A along with Antipolo, Taguig, Dasmariñas, Cavite, Cabuyao, Laguna, DLS-Lipa and Guagua, Pampanga.

Playing in Group B are RTU, Antipolo-1, Cebu, Montaban, Cavite City, Calamba and Floridablanca.

Contending for the Lady Maroons’ crown in the distaff side are Zamboanga, St. Louis University, Adamson-Cavite, UP-2, RTU-1, Ateneo-PAF and Gawad Kalinga-Manila. The Lady Maroons are playing in Group B with the legends, UC-Baguio, Adamson-Manila, RTU-2 and ENTOM-PUP Alumni.

Teams in each division and bracket play a one-round elimination with the top for teams in each advancing to the crossover semifinal round.