FANCIED Air Force and Adamson U came away with shutout victories over their respective rivals to serve notice of their bid in the Cebuana Lhuillier-ASAPHIL Summer Grand Slam National Open Fast Pitch softball tournament at the Bonifacio and St. Francis fields in Cabuyao City late Sunday.
The Air Force batters kicked off their title-retention drive with an 11-0 rout of the Cebu City side in the Open men’s division while the Falcons, the reigning UAAP champions, proved too much for the Manila City Team I squad, 10-0, in women’s play of the tournament presented by Cebuana Lhuillier and the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL).
Ateneo matched AdU’s emphatic start with a 7-0 romp over Cabiao, Nueva Ecija while Dasmariñas, while Cavite smothered Manila City Team 2, 19-0, in the 11th season of the tournament, also held as part of selection process for the future national team.
“As we continue to build the path towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we at ASAPHIL are relentless in our goal to find and train local softball stars, and this tournament serves that purpose,” said ASAPHIL and Cebuana Lhuiller president Jean Henri Lhuillier. “Year after year, we are treated to highly competitive teams pitted against each other. This year is no different and I can’t wait to see how they are going to battle it out in the next couple of days.”
The Philippine Youth team also rapped Tanauan, Batangas, 4-1, but struggled past UP-Diliman, 5-4 while Sta. Maria, Bulacan thumped Rizal Technological U, 12-0 and Makati City survived Tanuan, Batangas, 7-6, in the event which drew 46 teams nationwide.
In other results in the ladies division, UP Team 2 retired De La Salle-Zobel, 2-0, but fell to University of the East, 2-9, while San Miguel, Bulacan also blasted DLSZ, 12-0.
In the Men’s Club category, Alasba Bicol ripped the home team Cabuyao Transformer Galvatron, 10-2, but absorbed a stinging 0-9 defeat to Air Force while Philippine Army held off Zamboanga, 2-0.
In the Men’s Cup A division, the ADMU Coaches crushed the Binangonan, Rizal squad, 14-4, while the Entom Tigers also routed the Cabuyao Transformer Megatron, 7-0.
RTU won over Cabuyao Transformer Optimus Prime in a heated 7-5 match but bowed to San Rafael, Bulacan, 1-7.