MANILA OPENS PHILIPPINES SPRING SEASON WITH TWO WINS

After winning just two games last fall in Baseball Philippines’ Series 4 season, the Manila Sharks started off this spring’s Series 5 schedule with two wins on Opening Weekend at venerable Rizal Memorial Stadium in the nation’s capital.

Manila opened the first season of 2009 with a 9-6 victory over the Taguig Patriots last Saturday, breaking up a 6-6 tie with three eighth-inning runs as Francis Candella stroked the game-winning hit. One day later, the Sharks swamped the Taguig Patriots, 9-2. Raffy Dimaculangan had two hits and three RBIs, while Mick Natividad pitched a complete game.

In other BP action, the Batangas Bulls crushed the Alabang Tigers, 11-1, behind 20-year-old pitcher Vladimir Eguia, who gave up just two hits and struck out eight in six innings for the Bulls. In the other opener, the Cebu Dolphins outlasted the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers, 17-7, in a rematch of last fall’s Series 4 finals. Jonash Ponce crashed a three-run homer for the Dolphins who have never lost an Opening Day game since the league was launched in 2007.