The Philippines absorbed back-to-back setbacks in the USA Softball International Cup on Thursday at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Georgia, USA.
The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls lose to powerhouse Japan, 2-12, before botching a winnable game against Puerto Rico, 1-2, later in the day.
Despite the setbacks, Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) president and Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier remains positive and patient with the development and improvement of the Blu Girls.
“Japan is the Asian champion. I cannot expect for us, at this time, to beat them but I would want to see closer games against them in the future,” Lhuillier said.
While the Japan game was a one-sided affair, the Puerto Rico match was a tight one that ended in dramatic fashion.
“We could have won against Puerto Rico but the breaks of the game did not go our way,” the ASAPHIL chief added.
Karla Claudio opened scoring for Puerto Rico with a single on a 0-1 count, scoring one run.
The Blu Girls, however, evened things up in the sixth inning when Hailey Decker’s sacrifice fly scored a run for the Philippines.
The game was tied at 1-1 with Puerto Rico batting in the bottom of the eighth when Adriana Otero was hit by a pitch, driving in another run for the Puerto Ricans.
Logan Caymol took the loss for the Philippines. She surrendered one run on seven hits over seven and a third innings. She also struck out one batter.
The Philippines’ next opponent is Chinese Taipei.