PHILIPPINES – Unbeaten Cebu Dolphins made sure that the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers won’t make another come-from-behind victory this time as Joseph Orillana made an all-around effort to win, 10-5, in the opener of Saturday’s Baseball Philippines Series 4 at the Rizal Memorial Basebal Stadium.

Orillana (2-0) made a short appearance on the mound but was equally strong at the plate as the Series 2 Most Valuable Player had perhaps his best game of the 2008 season after a dismal campaign in Series 3.

The Antipolo native, who is also a member of the RP national team, pitched for 4 1 /3 innings, yielding just five hits and walked three batters. He also went 3-for-5, with two RBI’s coming in the ninth inning that preserved the victory.

Aside from the southpaw hurler, Miggy Corcuera, Fulgencio Rances and Emerson Atilano led a 17-hit morning for the Dolphins, who thwarted the Uni-Bikers’ chance of pulling off two consecutive rallies following Sunday’s 13-9 win over the Batangas Bulls.

Cebu improved to 2-0 to remain in first place while Dumaguete joined Batangas and the Manila Sharks in a three-way logjam for fourth at 1-2.

Rances recorded four hits for the second straight game, including a leadoff single to start the game. Atilano and Corcuera followed it up with a pair of RBI hits to give the Dolphins a 2-0 lead.

A Rances single in the second frame scored Orillana before he reached home on Corcuera’s second RBI, giving Cebu a 4-1 advantage. A run each in the fourth and sixth innings stretched their lead to 6-1.

Down again by a huge margin, the Uni-Bikers slowly mount a rally as Marlon Caspillo and Denver Largo led a three-run sixth with an RBI apiece to cut the lead to 6-4.

An RBI single by Jordan Orobia in the top half of the seventh pushed Cebu’s lead back to three only for Kelly Culubong to drive home Edmer del Socorro on an RBI single to slashed the deficit back to two runs, 7-5.

However, playing coach Lito Pulgo, who replaced Darwin dela Calzada (1-1) in the seventh inning, allowed Joel Binarao to start the ninth with a single before Jerome Bacarisas drilled a hit that he stretched into a double, putting the Dolphins in scoring position.

From there, Orillana hit a three-ball, no-strike pitch that sailed into right-center, scoring Binarao and Bacarisas, respectively, for a 9-5 lead. He eventually touched home after a throwing error by del Socorro that settled the final score.

Corcuera went 3-for-4 with two RBI’s while Atilano also had two RBI’s despite a 1-for-5 effort.

Dela Calzada whisked 12 hits in six innings with three runs earned to be saddled with the loss. Pulgo yielded five hits and allowed four runs in three innings pitched.

Caspillo, who was placed ninth by Pulgo in the batting order, went 2-for-4 with two RBI’s while Largo led Dumaguete with three hits in five at-bats.

(Jonas Terrado is the Lead Writer for the Baseball Philippines League website.)

Photo/Joseph Ventura

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Tags: Philippines