By HERBERT VEGO
ILOILO City — It was a bad Monday night, or 5 a.m. Tuesday in the Philippines, for the Iloilo softball team after it lost to the USA-Southwest team of Louisiana in the ongoing Little League Softball World Series at the Alpenrose Stadium in Portland, Oregon.
The Iloilo team from Zarraga town, representing the Philippines and the entire Asia-Pacific region, scored a homerun in the first inning and another in the fifth for a score of two, but it lost against Louisiana, which did four homeruns.
It had earlier forfeited its first two games for failure to arrive for the scheduled matches against USA-West of California and USA-East of New Jersey August 7 (Thursday) and August 8 (Friday). It lost against Canada on Saturday night.
Iloilo “softbelles” have one more game to play — against the Czech Republic.
The Iloilo/Philippine team, consisting of 11- and 12-year-old school girls from Zarraga, Iloilo, had gained the right to represent the Asia-Pacific region when it emerged champion in the Asia-Pacific Regional Championships in Angeles City in April, besting 51 other softball teams from 16 countries.
The “softbelles,” all residents of Zarraga, are Jaimalyn Ambong, Sheah Rendo, Mae Langga, Royebel Palma, Shymie Sarayno, Kathy Nueva, Irish Tagolimot, Xyka Balintogo, Ajhe Giron, Kate Nueva, and Marivic Lagarto./PN
