Manila Softbelles gear up for World Series

DELAWARE – As part of its buildup for the 2015 World Series Girls Big League Softball Championship set to kick off on Sunday (today in Manila) at the sprawling Pyles Center in Lower Sussex, Team Manila-Philippines held three days of grueling training and acclimatization sessions at the state-of-the-art sports facilities of the St. John’s University in New York before proceeding to this county here.

The Big City softbelles, composed of the finest 18-under UAAP batters from University of Sto. Tomas, National University, University of the East, and UAAP girls softball champions Adamson University, are gearing up in a  bid to reclaim the world crown they won in the 2012 edition of the prestigious event.

To boost the powerhouse roster, catcher Maria Celestine Palma and third baseman Christy Joy Roa of UST, first baseman Florabelle Pabiania of Adamson, and outfielder and third baseman Shaira Damasing of NU, who are all members of the Philippine Blu Girls that won the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games softball championship, are expected to strut their wares with their co-Manila batters.

The Asia Pacific champions, backed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, Philippine Airlines, and the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), will battle USA West’s Antelope Valley, California on Monday, Aug. 3 at 3 p.m.  (Tuesday, Aug.  4 3 a.m. Manila time) at the Layton Field of the Pyles Center.  

Former Manila Councilor and Manila Little League president Rafael “Che” Borromeo, who is also senior executive assistant to Mayor Estrada, is upbeat of their title chances.

“I think this is quite a strong team and I believe that the pool bracketing is also a bit favorable to us,” said Borromeo. “These girls come from poor families with a promise of free college education from reputable schools in Manila and that is our advantage because these girls will surely give it all they’ve got for the opportunity dahil para sa bayan na ito.”

“I think we have a good, deep bench, a mix of rookies and veterans, and a team a lot stronger than the 2012 champion team.  We also have the luck of the draw,”said head coach Anna Santiago.

Four standout pitchers led by veteran Mary Ann Antolihao of UST, as well as Riflayca Basa, Arlyn Bautista and Princess Mae Jurado of the UAAP champion Adamson University, will power Team Manila-Philippines, which was bracketed in Pool A together with USA Central’s South Bend, Indiana, USA Southeast’s Morganton, North Carolina, and Canada, which has already withdrawn from the series.

In Pool B are five other regional champions with two teams from host Delaware led by 2014 World Series Big League defending champions – USA Host District III and USA East’s Kent County – together with Latin America’s San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA Southwest’s Louisiana, and Europe/Africa’s Milano, Italia.