Air Force retains national softball title

MANILA, Philippines – Air Force showed it could play well under heavy rains and dim lights in trampling Taguig City, 7-3, in six innings to retain the men’s title in the Cebuana Lhuillier National Open softball championships Friday at the Rosario Sports Complex in Pasig.

The Legends of Pampanga, likewise, survived the otherwise unplayable conditions in the country’s only standard softball field that was flooded and poorly lighted by masterfully besting Adamson-Manila, 10-2, also in regulation six and became the first club in recent years to win the women’s crown in its first try.

The tournament, which drew 27 teams, was organized by the Amateur Softball Association-Philippines headed by Jean Henri Lhuillier and supported by Pera Padala, Phiten, Le Soleil de Boracay, Just Jewels and Mizuno. 

Sonny Boy Acuña, now 36, proved he still has that strong pitching arm that earned him slots in the Philippine teams since 2001 by manning the Airmen’s first line of defense while his teammates tagged Taguig starter Roger Roxas and reliever JR dela Cerna with eight hits, six of them at the bottom of the fourth and fifth frames.

That hitting binge produced three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth that brought what started as pitching duel between Acuna, who was removed from the RP Blu Boys line up two years ago, and Roxas, a member of the nationals’ pitching rotation, into a rout.

Gedda Valencia, who returned to the country from her job in Brunei to reinforce the Legends’ campaign, was more emphatic, limiting the UAAP champions Lady Falcons to mere four hits while joining her teammates made mincemeat of the celebrated Cloiene Muyco whom they tagged with eight connections.

A lot of what looked like easy pops were dropped and slow grounders passed by the defenders hands because of the blinding drizzles and dark portion of the Pasig ballpark that was the site of the 1992 World men’s softball championships.

“Lahat naman ng teams na naglaro ay naapektuhan ng kondisyosn, kaya lang naka-adjust ang mga nanalo sa situwasyon, samantalang ang mga natalo, medyo hindi naka-adjust, “ winning men’s coach Zacarias Bacarisas, who picked up his second National open championships, said after his Airmen’s title conquest.

Adamson mentor Ana Santiago agreed, saying the Legends being veterans of many national and international tournaments, knew how to cop up with the situation.

“Actually, hindi sana inilaro because of heavy rains and winds, but we cannot do anything the tournament should be completed as schedules. At saka naubusan yata ng palo ang mga bata. Ang ganda ng ipinalo noong semifinals pagdating sa championship hindi na tumama,” Santiago, who failed to hand Adamson what could have been the school’s first Open crown in five finals appearances, reasoned out.

Despite the wet and slippery balls, the right hand throwing Acuna struckout five of the Taguig batters he faces and surrendered only one base on balls-on-balls in manning the mound without relief.