The Philippines beats Hong Kong in the final to win the East Asia Baseball Cup title for the fifth straight time.–Jonas Terrado/INQUIRER
CLARK, Pampanga—The Philippines retained supremacy in the East Asia Baseball Cup behind ace pitcher Romeo Jasmin and a decisive home run by Mark Steven Manaig in beating Hong Kong, 9-2, in Sunday’s final held at The Villages here.
Jasmin endured some rough patches but was still able to pitch six solid innings with four strikeouts and allowing just one run while Manaig’s three-run blast capped off a big scoring barrage in the eighth that cemented the Nationals’ title-clinching romp on home soil.
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Coach Vince Sagisi guided the Philippines to its fifth straight championship in the competition while repeating over the same team it defeated handily in last year’s final held in Thailand.
READ: PH bracing for tough East Asia Baseball title match vs Hong Kong
BALLGAME OVER! THE PHILIPPINES REMAINS THE BEST BASEBALL TEAM
IN EAST ASIA!Reliever Junmar Diarao records the final out as the Philippines retains the East Asia Baseball Cup crown with a 9-2 win over Hong Kong @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/lRw8V5EWIG
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) November 3, 2024
The unbeaten run of five wins out of five matches since the group stage is expected to serve as a morale-booster for the Filipino batters as they compete in next year’s Asian Baseball Championship.
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The Philippines went 2-0 in Group B after lopsided victories over Indonesia and Singapore, before producing come-from-behind wins over Thailand and Hong Kong in the Super Round where slots in the final and Asian Championship were secured.
Jasmin shook off some early trouble when he allowed Hong Kong’s Jordan Wen to hit a double left field, but forced Yau Pang Ng to grounded to first for an inning-ending out in the first, triggered a streak that saw the veteran submarine thrower retire seven in a row all the way to the fourth.
The Philippines took the lead in the bottom of the first as John Vargas singled to left that scored Kyle Soberano from second, but the inning was marred by baserunning miscues that denied the Filipinos of having additional runs.
Aids Bernardo made it 2-0 in the second with a single to left that brought home Clarence Caasalan, who doubled before reaching third on a single by Manaig.
Hong Kong made things interesting in the fifth by closing the gap to 2-1 as Cheuk Kiu Chan singled to center with one out that enabled Man Hon Ma to score after being hit by Jasmin’s pitch and advancing to third on Sze Yue Chan’s single.
READ: Filipino sluggers forge overpowering East Asia start
Hoi Ting Cheng singled on the next at-bat to load the bases but Jasmin forced Andy Lo to a double play that ended the inning and a huge sigh lf relief for the hosts.
Soberano made it 3-1 in the fifth with a double to drive in Ian Mercado and it became a three-run lead for the Filipinos on an RBI single by Mark Beronilla in the sixth.
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Ansun Fung singled off Filipino lefty reliever Junmar Diarao to score Hoi Ting Cheng in the top of the eighth to put Hong Kong behind 4-2 before the Philippines went on a scoring rampage that virtually decided the outcome.
Beronilla recorded his second RBI with a single to score Vargas, Caasalan also singled that enabled Harper Sy before Manaig blasted his three-run shot over the left-field wall that broke the game wide open.