670 Babes upset Check It Out, 4-2

  Third-ranked 670 Babes stunned second place Check It Out, 4-2, in Thursday’s Chamolinian Softball Association 2nd Budweiser Softball League women’s division playoffs held at the Capitol Hill Ballfield.

Check It out dropped to the lower bracket of the double-elimination tournament where they will be paired against fourth-ranked Enamo Meta at 8:30pm on Tuesday, while 670 Babes will square off against the winner of Monday’s match between Frontrunner Sakudi and the fifth seed Rookies. The match is set for 7:30pm on Tuesday.

In the men’s division, Saipal (No. 8) eliminated Manelos (No. 4), 22-13, in Thursday’s lower bracket match, while a walk-off two-run homer by Natibu’s Jerry Guerrero pushed his team past Berdax, 15-13, in the upper bracket duel.
Details of last night’s matchups are forthcoming.

670 Babes 4, Check It Out 2

Check It Out missed some early scoring opportunities and ran out of time when they finally got their bats going late in the game.

670 Babes started a little slow at the plate until Tani Masga broke the ice in the third inning with a leadoff single. She snuck around the path off errors, while teammate Nicialynn Cabrera drew a walk and scored off a fielder’s choice by Marlyn Naputi for a 2-0 lead.

670 Babes then caught Check It Out in a double play in the bottom frame, but the latter kept the game within reach trough the thick of the match.

Check It Out threatened in the fifth inning, but only came away with one run via a sacrifice fly by Connie San Nicolas.

670 Babes then grinded out two more runs in the top of the seventh inning from a double by Pauline Camacho who scored soon after off an error.

670 Babes then held Check It Out to just one run in the final stand, despite giving up a triple to Keina Rogopes and two other hits.

Saipal 22, Manelos 13

Manelos had an early 3-2 lead from the first two innings spoiled by a five-run surge by Saipal in the third frame.

Two early errors set up a Greg Isakwa sacrifice fly and a three-run home run for Gloyd Martin, while Jordan Hayes bagged an RBI single.

Manelos pulled within a run, 6-7, in the bottom side thanks to a two-RBI single by Derrik Aughenbaugh and a solo blast from Pat Alepuyo. It then took the steering wheel, 8-7, in the fourth after a two-run homer by Derek Abraham.

Saipal countered with two runs in the fifth inning from a sacrifice fly by Elo Eli and an RBI base smash by Hayes, but Manelos reclaimed the lead, 11-9, in the bottom frame off five hits; Aughenbaugh bagged an RBI single and Alepuyo airmailed a second long ball, this time for two runs.

Saipal then erupted in the sixth inning and cashed in on an eight-run string that took the air out its rival’s sails.

The team cracked seven hits including a pair of three-run homers by Martin and Hayes as they amassed a 17-11 lead. Hector Effrain also drilled a two-RBI base knock in the mix.

Saipal then poured some salt in the wound in the seventh inning with another handful of runs off five hits.

Isakwa belted a two-run shot, however, most of the damage done to the Manelos’ defense was self-inflicted.

The Manelos were held to a pair of solo blasts by Alepuyo and Niko Martin.

Natibu 15, Berdax 13

Berdax worked out an early 3-1 lead in the first inning off an early error and a two-run homer. Natibu’s John Welson cranked a solo shot in the bottom frame.

Berdax remained at the helm, 7-4, after the second inning. An early error was capitalized by five hits, including a trio of RBI singles by Ton Manibusan, Kel Kapileo, and Vaughn Hofschneider. Natibu managed three runs in the bottom frame off a pair of home runs.

Berdax moved around one run in the third off an error, but Natibu tied the match at 8-all in the bottom frame with six hits, including a two-RBI. One run also scored off a fielder’s choice.

Then after a quiet fourth inning, Natibu grinded out a slim 10-9 advantage in the fifth thanks to a double and a sacrifice fly. Berdax’s Chad Atalig spanked a solo blast in the top portion.

The count shifted to 13-12 in favor of Natibu after six frames.

Early blunders in the field by Natibu enabled a two-RBI single by David Camacho in the top half, however Berdax committed some mistakes in the bottom side that complemented an RBI smash by Welson.

Berdax’s Atalig belted a solo home run in the top of the seventh that briefly tied the match, but moments later Natibu dealt the final blow.

By Walter J. Sutherland
Reporter