ASAPHIL President Jean-Henri Lhuillier in the batter's box at the 15th Pangaea Cup. Cebuana Lhuillier, his company's team, made it to the championship game. (Photo courtesy of ASAPHIL)

CHINESE TAIPEI ENTRY TAKES TITLE IN PHILIPPINES
2008-03-04

More than anything else, the slow pitch version of softball is a power-hitting game and the Chinese Taipei team Hengta showed what it is all about as their batters rained home run after home run in their 15th Pangaea Cup Super Division championship matchup against top local team Cebuana Lhuillier at the Alabang Country Club on Sunday afternoon in the Philippines.

The final score – and margin of victory – more resembled that of an American football game for Team Hengta, who made it to the tournament after winning last year’s 5th President’s Cup slow pitch tournament in their home country. After just one inning in Sunday’s game they already led, 7-1. When the score for all intents and purposes doubled after two innings, it was clear that Hengta was on their way to victory in a big way.

The winners held off a six-run top of the fourth inning by the host team en route to the title.

“We gave it our best shot but you saw how strong this (Chinese Taipei) team was. Hengta was like a hitting machine,” said Cebuana Lhuillier playing team manager Ron Sangil, whose team had some of the best local players like Mark Ramirez, the tournament’s Best Slugger and home run king with ten homers, Apol Rosales, Oscar Bradshaw, Jasper Cabrera, and Ben Mariveles.

The three-day tournament, sanctioned by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL), had approximately a dozen major sponsors.

Hengta had also beaten Cebuana Lhuillier earlier in the elimination round, though it was the defending champion Tong Hwa –S team, from Hong Kong, which swept the round with a 5-0 won-lost record, followed by sister team Tong Hwa –C at 4-1. The playoffs saw fourth-ranked Cebuana Lhuillier shocking Tong Hwa-S, 11-4, while Hengta won big over Tong Hwa -C to set up the title showdown.

The A Division championship saw Hong Kong-based Turkeys team making short work of the Meralco Sluggers to take the crown, and it was left to newcomer ENTOM Tigers of Ely Baradas to salvage some honor for the Philippines as the Tigers beat the River Rats Team of Singapore to win the Club Championship.

“It is our first time and no one expected us to win but we are very happy that we came up with a good performance,” said former national player Baradas, whose players are based in Los Banos, Laguna.

The Pangaea Cup was started in 1994 by Mr. George A. Hodges III and has grown to where this year’s event – in addition to those named above – also included entries from Indonesia, Japan, and Korea.

Joselito Cinco contributed this report on behalf of ASAPHIL