GUANGZHOU, China – The Domingo Lacson National High School 14-16 senior team prevailed yesterday over host China,2-1, in a preview of their championship showdown in the 2008 Little League Girls Softball Asia Pacific Tournament at the Huangcun Sports Training Base here.

After a scoreless first inning, Julie Marie Muyco of DLNHS drove the ball midfield and managed to get into the first base for the first run of the Philippine team in the second inning.

Muyco, a senior, who is suffering from a foot injury, however, had to be replaced by Jusel Marie Talaban on the first base for the eventual run.

Taking her place at the bat after Muyco, starting pitcher Annalie Benjamin connected with another hit which eventually sent her to the homeplate in the same inning.

Keeping a close watch on the ball and tightly guarding the bases, the host Chinese team stopped the DLNHS girls from scoring further and  managed to score a run in the fourth canto courtesy of stocky and fast-running Xiao Peng.

Despite the win, the Bacolod girls are not satisfied with their game.  “We were hitting badly. We could have easily beaten the Chinese team if we played more aggressively”, Muyco said, adding “most of us were obviously off today.”

Still, she is confident that they will win the 10 a.m. championship game today against China for a sweep of its schedule in the four-nation calendar. 

Officials said the Philippines will be declared winner in the tournament via its 2-1 win over China if rains resume and make the ballfield unplayable.

In the other Seniors’ game yesterday, Guam finally hit the win column via a 16-6 domination of Indonesia to finish the elimination round at third spot. Both teams will play for the second runner-up honors 8 a.m. today.

A win by the DLNHS seniors today will send all four Philippine teams here to the World Series in the United States next month after the 11-12 and 13-14 groups, both from Bacolod –Negros Occidental, and the 16-18 players from Manila, represented by Adamson University, swept their assignments via Guamenian teams in their best-of-five schedule.*NAB

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