Iloilo softbelles cop Li’l, Jr League plums

TANAUAN CITY, Batangas – World champion Manila South easily retained its Big League Softball crown but it was the girls from Iloilo who emerged as the big winners in yesterday's Little League Philippine Series 2013 hostilities in Barangay Altura here.

Manila South did the expected and clobbered Pasig in yet another abbreviated game, 14-1, to complete its domination in the 16-18 girls softball hostilities while Iloilo netted the plums in Little League Softball and Junior League Softball for a double celebration.

The three champions will represent Phl in the Asia Pacific Series to be held in Clark in June, a qualifier to the World Series, where the Manileñas eventually intend to return.

"We hurdled the first step in our main objective of defending the World  Series title  but first we'll prepare for the Asia Pacific Series," said Manila South coach Ana Santiago, who destroyed their Phl Series rivals with just nine players, mostly from Adamson, University of Santo Tomas and National U.

The day clearly belonged to the Iloilo softbelles, which beat a pair of rivals from NCR for top honors.

Iloilo's Little Leaguers got back at last year's champion and tormentor ILLAM, 4-2, to rule the girls' 11-12 division then its Junior Leaguers survived a late meltdown to escape with a 13-11 victory in extra inning over Muntinlupa for the 12-14 tiara.

Pitcher Royeve Palma pitched a two-hitter and struck out 13 ILLAM batters in a no-relief job for Iloilo, also scoring one of the team's two runs in the bottom second for a 2-1 cushion.

"Our pitcher (Palma) played well, she had it under control from the first to sixth inning," said Iloilo coach Rey Fuentes, who also drew two runs from Ma. Aleona Langga as they nipped ILLAM despite failing to hit the latter's hurler Therese Macasaet.

Fuentes, who had previously steered Bacolod to the 2003 Junior League Softball world title, immediately rushed to the adjacent diamond to rejoin their Junior Leaguers.

He saw how his wards went up by a seemingly insurmountable 10-3 lead only to give up eight runs - mostly error-aided - in the sixth inning, including a two-run homer by Jamie San Suan, to go down, 10-11.

Iloilo found the way to equalize in the seventh and hold Muntinlupa scoreless to set the extra frame. Kate Teves and Dezza Barredo pounced on the opportunity to scoot home in the eighth for a 13-11 lead then the Ilonggas thwarted Muntinlupa's batters to salvage the victory.

"I told them to keep their presence of mind and focus on the game," said Fuentes as his wards hugged one another and shed tears of joy.

Over in Junior League Baseball Group B play, ILLAM nipped Muntinlupa, 13-10, to advance to the semifinals, joining unbeaten host Tanauan (5-0 at presstime).