Blu Girls smash South Korea IX

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines breathed life to its World Cup aspirations after it smashed South Korea, 11-1, in the Under-18 Women’s Softball Asia Cup in Fujian, China.

Down by a run in the opening inning, the Cebuana Lhuillier-bankrolled Blu Girls pounced on the South Korean’s error-prone fielding in the second inning that sparked a massive five-run blitz for a 5-1 lead.

They never wavered from there as the Sheirylou Valenzuela-coached Filipinas dropped two more decisive bombs – a two-run blast in the third inning and a four-run blitz in the next – that sealed their second win in three outings.

It also booked the country a place in the super round where they will run into tournament favorite Japan and fearsome Chinese Taipei.

The Blu Girls are hoping to pull off a miracle or two in the next phase with hopes of claiming one of the three slots to next year’s World Cup.

The result also somehow soothed the pain of the Blu Girls’ 11-0 blanking by host China Wednesday  after opening the tournament with a 7-0 triumph over Hong Kong Tuesday,

“Losing against China was a tough blow. But what defines a team is how they bounce back,” said national softball chief Jean Henri Lhuillier. “I’m incredibly proud of how our girls fought back to dominate South Korea.”