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BAMBOL SERVO came through with a game-winning walk-off hit for
Dumaguete Saturday to force a deciding Game 3 against Batangas in
the Baseball Philippines-Series 3 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball
Stadium.
Servo’s two-out grounder to centerfield off
the 3-1 fastball of losing pitcher Justin Zialcita sent home pinch
runner Edward Tuazon, his teammates into frenzied celebration, and
Dumaguete on the threshold of an unlikely championship.
“I know that he [Zialcita] will throw a
fastball after falling down 3-1 on the count,” said Servo, a
34-year-old shortstop.
The thrilling 4-3 victory answered the request
of Dumaguete’s playing team manager Lito Pulgo.
“All I asked them was for us to force Game
3,” Pulgo said. Well, it’s time for him and the Unibikers to be
a little greedy.
They’re easily the biggest surprise in the
tournament. After finishing fifth in the elimination, they twice
beat fourth seed Taguig and top seed Manila in the quarterfinals and
semifinals respectively to earn a shot at the title.
Game 3 is set Sunday starting 10:30 a.m.
Left fielder Marlon Caspillo set up the table
for Servo’s winning hit with a double on deep left. Tuazon, pinch
running for Caspillo, then went to third on a fielder’s choice.
Pulgo started for Dumaguete, allowing only 1 run
on 5 hits in five innings. Relief pitcher Darwin Dela Calzada
completed the job by giving up 2 runs on 2 hits.
Vladimir Eguia, who pitched a no-hitter in Game
1 for Batangas, had four strikeouts in a one-run, three-hit job for
six innings. But the Bulls’ relief pitchers faltered as Randy De
Leon yielded 2 runs and 3 hits in two innings and Zialcita gave up
the winning run.
The game-winner came on the heels of the tying
run scored by Virgilio Roxas on the top of the ninth.
Earlier, Roxas was named the Home Run King with
five round-trippers while his manager Randy Dizer was awarded the
Best Coach during the awards rites. Cebu’s Fulgencio Rances won
the Best Hitter plum while Manila’s Charlie Labrador was adjudged
the Best Pitcher. Ronald Olan was named the Best Umpire.
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