Muyco sparks Blu Girls romp vs Malaysia

JAKARTA – Julie Marie Muyco presided over the Philippine Blu Girls’ three-inning demolition of Malaysia for a 15-0 rout in the opening day yesterday of the ASEAN women’s softball championship at the Senayan Sports Complex grounds here.

The 5-foot-7 Muyco of Adamson University and one of six Big League World Series-bound Manila Golden Girls beefing up the team, twirled a no-hit, no-run performance, striking out seven of the first 10 Malaysian batters she faced en route to the one-sided contest.

The 17-year-old Muyco spiked up her sterling stint with a grand slam homer as the Philippines’ opened its bid to retain the championship of the event last held in 1995.

A five-run blitz right in the first inning, sparked by Dione Macasu’s three-base hit set the tone of the RP romp.

Coach Ana Santiago’s Blu Girls sealed the win with a 10-run binge in the next two innings that led to the 10-run mercy rule.

Muyco unleashed her grand slam in the third canto with a homer off the right-center field that drove home teammates Esmeralda Tayag, Elma Parohinog and Alex Zuluaga.

“Good start,” said coach Ana Santiago said after the game.

The Indonesian team Merah (Red), one of two teams fielded in by the host country, blanked Thailand, 8-0, in regulation five innings.

The Blu Girls were to play Indonesian Team White (Putih) under light at 6:30 p.m. last night.

The Filipinas also play a doubleheader today against Thailand at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. in Manila) and Indonesian (Merah) at 5:30 (6:30 in Manila) before capping their campaign in the five-nation, six-team series tomorrow against dangerous Singapore.