Cebuanos snare baseball crown

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu re-stamped its class over Manila as it fashioned out an imposing 6-1 victory yesterday to sweep their best-of-three series for Baseball Philippines Series 9 crown at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

National player Joseph Orillana blasted a lead-off home run in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 count then the Dolphins scored two runs each in the seventh and ninth frames to clinch the victory, their third after their title conquests in Series 2 and 4 of the league organized by Community Sports, Inc.

The win likewise denied the Sharks their fourth straight championship.

Orillana, coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him in the playoffs, homered off the 1-1 pitch off losing pitcher Warren Vispo as the Dolphins regained control after the Sharks tied the game at the bottom of the third.

Starting pitcher Christian Maghanoy issued six hits in seven innings before Ronel Peralta closed it with a one-hitter against the Sharks.

Joennard Pareja, also of the Dolphins, led individual awardees in the league after capturing the MVP of the elimination round. Miggy Corcuera took home the Jun Bernardino Award for his attitude on and off the field.

Lorenzo Ubungen, who keyed Cebu’s 8-6 win in Game 1 Saturday, was named finals MVP.

Other individual awardees were Ricky Jimenez of Dumaguete (best manager), Jarus Inobio of Manila (most stolen base), Adrian Bernardo of Alabang (most RBIs and best hitter), Ferdinand Liguayan of Dumaguete (best pitcher) and Tino Ubungen of Alabang (home run king).

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