World series girls softball: Manila, Bulacan lose title bid

MANILA, Philippines - Wilting under pressure, Asia-Pacific titlist Manila South suffered a 3-8 loss to USA Southwest champ District-5, Louisina to bow out of the championship race in the Big League Softball World Series Saturday at Layton Field in Sussex County, Delaware.

The Manila softbelles, who were impressive in topping Pool A with three wins, failed to sustain their fiery form in the pressure-packed semis match, committing some costly errors that allowed Louisiana to get a 7-0 head start.

Louisiana advanced to the gold-medal duel against West champ California District, which scored a 3-2 win over 2014 winner Host District in the other semis duel.

Manila was relegated to the battle for third against ousted champ Delaware Sunday.

“The girls were rattled with errors early in the game and our pitcher was then pressured. We wasted the opportunity but these are all part of the game and the girls tried their best. We will go for the third place finish,” said coach Ana Santiago.

In Washington, Asia Pacific champ Norzagaray, Bulacan also dropped a 2-9 setback to USA Southeast titlist Tampa Bay, Florida and settled for runner-up honors in the 2015 Junior League Softball World Series Friday at Everest Park in Kirkland.

The Bulacan belles conceded five runs in the second inning and couldn’t recover from there, allowing their rivals to complete an undefeated run to the crown.

Southeast peppered Pinay starter Alma Tauli and reliever Analyn Aurita with a combined 12 hits, with Chloe Boss (3-for-3) leading the charge with a two-RBI and three-run effort spiked by a solo home run in the fifth frame.

Bulacan managed just four hits against Cassidy Renninger over seven innings with Jojielyn Lim (1-for-3) providing the lone bright spot at bat with a two-run homer in the third frame.

In Delaware, Manila and Louisiana had the same number of hits at eight apiece but the former had more errors, four against one, which spelled the difference.

Throwing and catching mistakes by third baseman Shaira Damasing and starter Mary Ann Antolihao helped Louisiana set up the opening run by Bobbi Smith in the first inning.

More miscues were committed by Manila in the third frame, aiding Southwest in scoring six runs capped by a two-run homer by Sidney Winters as the Americans went up by seven.

But Manila, the 2012 world champs, unleashed a fierce fightback and pulled three runs back in the fifth.

Damasing drove in Delyrose Covarrubias then Mary Nichoile Padasas, pinch-running for Damasing, reached home off a triple by Kristen Marie Acuna. Cristy Joy Roa later plated Acuna as Manila moved to within 7-3.

The Manilans put two runners on with back-to-back hits by Covarrubias and Severino at the start of the sixth but Louisiana extinguished the threat by getting the second and third outs. Southwest retired the side in the final inning to pull the plug on the Pinays’ aspirations.

“We lost to a better team which really played very well today,” said Manila Little League Philippines president Rafael “Che” Borromeo. “The girls tried their best to fight back and we are all very proud of them.”

The Big City softbelles are backed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, Philippine Airlines, and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).