Host Philippines bounced back from a tough loss to reigning champion Chinese Taipei with a 16-0 demolition of India but the Japanese stunned the Taiwanese, 5-4, in Day 3 of the Asian Junior Women’s Softball Championship at the Clark International Sports Complex in Pampanga yesterday.
Junior RP Blu Girls starter Kianna Juan twirled a no-hitter in two innings and Alma Tauli took over with one hit in the fourth as they combined for eight strikeouts while the rest peppered pitcher Parkhe Poojah with a crippling 16-hit effort to post an abbreviated four-inning victory.
The lopsided win made up for the Junior Blu Girls’ 2-3 defeat to the Taiwanese earlier, hiking their record to 3-2, in the event sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier which featured eight of the region’s leading teams.
“Our Junior Blu Girls showed an amazing display of skills in their shutout win over India, underscoring their ability to slug it out with the best in the region,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president of the organizing Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines.
In the featured match, the Japanese racked up five runs in the first two innings and reliever Yuki Masuda, who took over from Sone Hanna, retired the last three batters in the final seventh frame to preserve the hard-earned victory over the Taiwanese in the event sanctioned by the Softball Confederation of Asia and the World Baseball and Softball Confederation and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.
China, meanwhile, notched its fourth win in five starts, shutting out Malaysia, 16-0, in a game that lasted only three innings. Malaysia fell to 1-5.