Jun Torres

Palayan, Lipa City crush foes, make final group

Lipa City of Batangas and Palayan City of Nueva Ecija came up with lopsided victories yesterday (April 8) and joined four other teams into the next round in the centerpiece Major league (11-12) boys baseball division play of the 2008 Little League Philippine Series at the posh Alabang Country Club.

The Lipa Major Leaguers showed too much class in disposing of General Trias of Cavite via a 12-2 verdict for its fourth straight triumph to join Marikina City at the top of the standing in the six-team Group C.

The victory also pushed Lipa City into the two-group Final 10 of the 29-team field.

The Palayan 11-12 sluggers, on the other hand, crushed their erstwhile Group B co-leader Zamboanga City, 16-0 to assume solo leadership in their bracket.

Palayan also advanced into the two-group Final 10 of the six-group elimination round in the division.

Marikina, Ilocos Norte and Tanauan City of Batangas in Group A and defending champion International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM) in Group E have already made it into the next round with their 4-0 win-loss records.

Pook Agoncillo of Batangas resumed its winning ways, dumping Pasig City, 12-2, and tied Zamboanga in second place in its group behind the streaking Palayan.

The top two teams from each group in the 11-12 age division will be divided into two brackets that will play another round to decide which teams advance into the medal phase.

Team Manila, meanwhile, mauled last year’s Big League (14-16) girls softball winner ILLAM, 6-2, in a victory that created a triple tie for first place in the four-team, two-round level.

Bacolod City East shared the Big League top spot with the Manila Golden Girls and ILLAM after surviving host Muntinlupa City, 1-0, in a marathon three-hour duel that lasted for nine innings. All three ended the first of two-round elimination play toting similar 2-1 records each.

Sheena Mae Ventura’s single at the bottom of the third extension drove home teammate Maria Aila Millano for the game-clinching run after the two teams battled to a scoreless deadlock for eight frames.

Millano boarded first on a freebie, stole second then advanced to third on a fielder’s choice from where she scooted home on that base-hit by Ventura.

The Big League girls softball format calls for the four-team cast to play one round elimination to decide the two teams that will dispute the championship. The No.1 squad based on its win-loss slate will enjoy a twice to beat advantage in the final.