Tanauan, San Antonio forge Little League title showdown

MANILA, Philippines -- Tanuan City and San Antonio, Zambales routed their respective foes Sunday to arrange an interesting showdown for the major league baseball title in the Little League Philippine Series at the Sumulong grounds in Marikina City.

The Tanauan batters overpowered ILLAM, 15-5, to make a return trip to the finals where they will have another crack of clinching the title in the division for boys 11-12 years old for the second straight year after reigning supreme in last year's edition at their home turf back home.

San Antonio, for its part, waylaid a hapless Camarines Norte, 10-0, to make a surprise appearance in the finals where it will be the virtual underdog considering that its finals foe has kept the core of last year's champion team as well as members of the Palarong Pambansa-bound team representing Calabarzon.

"We're just happy to suerpass  our quarterfinal effort last year," said San Antonio coach Conrado Gutierrez, who steered his boys in topping the North/Central Luzon bracket by downing Bulacan, 6-3, the day before, in Filipino.

"Making the finals is already an accomplishment for us and if we win, it will be a bonus for us," he added.

Gutierrez, however, knows it beating Tanauan is a gargantuan task.

"They're the defending champions, the team to beat so we will need to play perfect baseball to pull the rug from under them," he said.

Tanauan coach Romar Landicho, whose charges slammed General Trias, 17-0, to make it to the semis,  said the key is not to let their guards down.

"I keep reminding the boys that any team here can beat us if we allow them to," said Landicho.

It was a heartbreaking loss for ILLAM, which was hoping for another miracle against Tanauan after winning its match against Marikina, which beat the former by a run, via protest after the latter violated tournament rules on fielding players.

ILLAM, however, made up for its major league setback by topping senior league baseball with a 13-3 thrashing of Muntinlupa and making the finals of junior league baseball with a 12-2 smashing of Tanauan, 12-2.

ILLAM will play in the finals the winner between Muntinlupa and Antipolo City.

In little league softball, Iloilo dumped ILLAM, 12-0, to forge a title showdown with Tanauan.

In senior league softball, Gawad Kalinga Smokey Mountain continued its giant-slaying ways by trouncing Bulacan, 15-5, to barge into the finals against Sta. Cruz, Laguna, which blanked Dasmarinas, 12-0.

The winners in this event, which was bankrolled by the Phl Sports Commission and organized by Little League Phl administrator Jolly Gomez, will represent the country in the Asia-Pacific Regionals slated June 30 to July 6 in Clark, Pampanga.