Tanauan annexes second LL crown

TANAUAN CITY, Batangas, Philippines  â€“ Home team Tanauan City closed out its hosting of the Little League Philippines Series 2013 with a masterful title romp in the premier 11-12 age division, clobbering North Samar, 6-0, before a big group of supporters in Barangay Sala yesterday.

Determined to cap their campaign on home soil on a fiery note, the Tanaueñoes tagged Samareñoes with countless hits and scored runs at will, forcing the Visayan team to concede the match after the third inning and the hosts unassailably ahead, 23-0.

“The boys are motivated and well prepared, they knew what to do inside the field already,” said Tanauan coach Romar Landicho, whose wards have been training since January also in preparation for their stint in the Palarong Pambansa.

Tanauan’s bets in the majors collared a second crown for Tanauan in the 10-day Philippine Series, following up the triumph of their Junior League Baseball (13-14) townsmates, and earned a spot in the Asia Pacific Middle East Tournament slated June 30-July 8 in Clark, a qualifying meet for the World Series. 

Joining Tanauan’s two teams in AsPac qualifiers are the champions in the other divisions – Iloilo (Little League Softball and Junior League Softball), reigning world titlists Manila South (Big League Softball), Muntinlupa (Big League Baseball), and ILLAM (Senior League Baseball).  

Tanauan pulled off the LLB title clincher just three hours after outdueling 2012 champions ILLAM, 16-4, in the morning session’s semifinals.

“The big win over contender ILLAM boosted the boys’ morale and it carried over into the finals,” said Landicho in Filipino.

The Tanauan Little Leaguers turned what was expected to be a tight contest with ILLAM into a one-sided affair as Genesis Manabat and Marty Rañada led a sizzling offensive (14 hits) that left ILLAM’s pitchers and fielders dazed.

Manabat blasted a three-run home run as Tanauan uncorked four runs in the fifth then Rañada duplicated the feat in the next frame to spearhead a seven-run binge that completed the hosts’ domination over ILLAM.

North Samar blew by Tarlac, 22-9, in the semis but was a mere shadow of itself when it ran into a rampaging Tanauan.

The Philippine Series 2013 was backed by Tanauan City Mayor Sonia Torres Aquino and the Philippine Sports Commission.