Cebu Dolphins Rally To Surprise Taguig Patriots

By Jonas Terrado
Baseball Philippines

The Cebu Dolphins applied the popular saying that “It ain’t over till it’s over” after coming back from an early seven-run deficit to record miraculous 13-7 victory against the Forward Taguig in the third game of Saturday’s Baseball Philippines Series 3 action at the Rizal ballpark.

The Patriots drew first blood early with a three-run second inning as Ferdinand Recto slapped a two-run double off starter Joseph Orillana while Andoy Velasquez followed it up with an RBI single to score Jeff Hardillo from third.

Taguig padded their lead to 5-0 after Binarao and third baseman Rizel Santos each crossed home plate before Velasquez drew his second RBI in the fourth and second baseman Ryan Garcia connected on a solo blast for their seventh consecutive run.

Following a run in the sixth frame, Orobia sent home Ardio and Orillana from third and second, respectively, in the seventh frame while Corcuera slammed his fourth home run of the tournament on a three-run shot off Patriots reliever Ronaldo delos Reyes that cut Cebu’s deficit to 7-6 in the eighth.

Jordan Orobia scored the tying-run in the ninth inning off a Jonard Pareja base-hit but it was Nico Uichico who helped pushed two runners home on a bases-loaded single that ultimately sealed Cebu’s wins in come-from-behind fashion.

Following Orobia’s equalizing touch to home plate on Pareja’s double, Fulgencio Rances drilled a single to right before Jonash Ponce was walked intentionally to load the bases. From there, Uichico, who came in as a pinch-runner to Joel Binarao in the sixth inning, nailed a hit off losing hurler Ernesto Binarao for a 9-7 edge.

But it didn’t end from there, after Dolphins’ slugger Miggy Corcuera received a free pass, Jeffrey Ardio gave his team a huge cushion on a bases-clearing hit to left field that made it a 12-7 game as Cebu never looked back. He later scored off a groundout to record the final score.

With the dramatic win, the Dolphins climb into solo second in the team standings with a 7-3 win-loss card and can the second outright semifinals berth if they beat the Batangas Bulls in their next game on July 5.

Uichico and Ardio, both standouts of De La Salle University, made three runs-batted-in (RBI) to help give Cebu their fourth win in their last five outings.

MANILA SEALS TOP PLAYOFF SEED

The Manila Sharks got a strong showing from their pitching staff while their offense made it a hit-parade to seal the top spot in Baseball Philippines Series 3 after 10-0, seven-inning victory over the Antipolo Pilgrims last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Starting pitcher Mick Natividad and reliever Joey Sta Maria combined to allow just a three-hitter as the Sharks sent the Pilgrims to their fifth straight setback while setting their sights on the semifinals.

Natividad, a 20-year Commerce student out of National University, recorded three strikeouts, walked none, and retired 16 of the 19 batters he faced in an effortless five-inning duty while the southpaw Sta Maria of Rizal Technological University finished off the Pilgrims with two easy innings to get their 10th victory in 11 outings.

National team mainstay Nino Tator helped the Sharks get the first run of the midday contest on a hit to right field that pushed home Candela in the first inning. He scored another runner in one of four runs tallied in the fifth frame by pulling Jarus Inobio from second base on a base-hit to left.

Manila then finished off Antipolo in the last two innings as Guerrero smacked one into left-center for a two-run inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning that made it a 9-0 advantage before Candela crushed a solo four-bagger off 15-year old reliever Carlo Conge to settle the final count.

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