Tigers trim Bulls in BP Series 8

MANILA, Philippines - Alabang peppered reliever Romeo Jasmin with a nine-run binge in the fifth inning as the Tigers defeated Batangas, 11-9, in Baseball Philippines’ first out-of-town game at the Libjo field in Batangas City last Sunday.

Carlos Laurel blasted a two-run hit then capped it with a go-ahead run homer in his second-at-bat in a huge Alabang charge in the fifth frame, shoving the Tigers to the lead after trailing, 1-9.

A solo home run by Carlos’ brother Matt in the sixth gave Alabang a two-run cushion and the Tigers went on to post the come-from-behind victory in the league organized by Community Sports Inc. and sponsored by Gatorade and Rawlings.

“It was all breaks of the game,” said coach Jeffrey Santiago, who returns to Alabang after steering the Makati Mariners to the inaugural 2007 championship.

“Maybe they thought that the game was in the bag when they took out their starting pitcher but it just happened that our reserves stepped up,” said Santiago.

The win tied Alabang with Cebu, which defeated Dumaguete, 5-3, at Rizal Memorial baseball stadium also last Sunday. Defending champion Manila shows the way with a 2-0 slate from its back-to-back wins over Taguig over the weekend.

Aris Oruga and Inigo Olivarez came through with a pair of two-run hits and Adrian Bernardo turned in RBIs as the Tigers feasted on Jasmin to spark the big Alabang fightback.

Carlo Banzon hit the first home run, Vio Roxas blasted a two-run bomb and Ferdinand Recto smacked a grand slam homer all in the first inning as the Bulls raced to a 6-0 lead.

Starter Vlady Eguia struck out six batters for Batangas, including five straight but had to leave the game in the fourth inning after reaching the maximum 50 pitches allowed to a player to be eligible to pitch in his team’s next game.

Carlos Laurel keyed Alabang’s fiery run with a two-run bases-loaded single, scoring Jeffrey Ardio and Gabby Baroque while Bernardo’s RBI single pushed Laurel home. Oruga’s two-run double and an Ardio RBI double kept Alabang close at 7-9.

Olivarez tied the game with a two-out, two-run double before Carlos Laurel hit a double to left field to score Olivarez in his second turn to bat to wrest control.

The league is backed by Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Philippine Olympic Committee, PSC, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and DZSR Sports Radio 918.