Makati shatters Sta. Rosa, gains softball semis

MANILA, Philippines – Makati City overpowered Sta. Rosa, Laguna with its exceptional batting, fashioning out a 15-0 romp to clinch the first semifinal berth in the 2015 National Inter-Secondary Girls Softball Championships at the Barangka Baseball Field in Marikina yesterday.

Not even the downpour spawned by Typhoon Nona could slow down the Makati girls, who needed just four innings to dispose of their Sta. Rosa rivals, courtesy of solid hitting from Angelu Gabriel, Charlotte Sales and Tin Bautista, who came through with two homeruns each.

Remeli Herrero spiked Makati’s win with a grand slam on her first try at bat in the second inning.

“I had them adjust their batting technique yesterday (Monday) since I wanted them to straighten their arms to get better chances of a homerun. So, this morning (yesterday), I had them do just that and they were able to deliver,” said Makati City coach Yolly Sanchez, who steered her wards to their sixth straight victory in Bracket A for a spot in the next round of the week-long tournament sponsored by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) and Cebuana Lhuillier for the country’s current aces and rising stars.

“We’re just in the middle of the tournament and we’re already seeing great potential from this year’s contenders. I’m glad that we have such a platform to showcase the potential of these young Filipino athletes. They certainly deserve all the support they can get,” said Asaphil president and Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, meanwhile, rebounded from a pair of shutout losses with a 7-0 victory over Baguio City while Manila City also posted a 7-0 rout of Tuguegarao at the Sto. Nino Baseball Field, also in Marikina City.

The top two teams from each group after the single round elims advance to the crossover semifinals with the winners disputing the championship worth P25,000.