ANS AT PAR VS. TOP TEAMS IN PH, 2-2
The Abellana National School (ANS) softball players split their first four games in the ongoing 2017 Cebuana Lhuillier-Asaphil 18-Under National Women’s Softball Championship in Marikina Sports Complex, Marikina City.
ANS recently snagged a historic 10th straight title in the 27th Cebu City Olympics last month before its first stint in the 2017 Cebuana Lhuillier-Asaphil 18-Under National Women’s Softball Championship.
ANS debuted with a dominating 20-0 victory over Taguig last Dec. 15 before suffering its first loss in the hands of mighty Santa Maria, Bulacan, 1-2, the day after.
Last Saturday, ANS had a double-header, winning against Mindoro, 9-5, but came short against Nueva Ecija, 1-2.
“It’s our first time to play in this tournament and as a first-timer, at least we played at par against the strong teams, like Bulacan, who represented the Philippines in a recent tournament in the United States,” ANS athletic director Francis Ramirez told SunStar Cebu yesterday.
Ramirez said that there were no games last Monday and Tuesday because of heavy rains in Marikina City. ANS, who holds a 2-2 card, will still play against Makati, Miriam College, Das Mariñas, Cavite and Rizal.
Ramirez said that this kind of exposure will really help the young softball players gain experience especially that they’re competing against strong teams from different parts of the country.
The tournament has 27 teams and was divided into three brackets. The teams from Cebu are ANS and the Salazar Colleges of Science Institute and Technology (SC-SIT).
Ramirez said that there are scouts from different collegiate schools. The national team will also select players who have potential.
“The national team are selecting players for U-19 and U-16. They will announce the selected players after the tournament,” he said.
Ramirez added that the tour-
Team launches campaign with a win vs. Taguig, 200, but loses to Bulacan; destroys Mindoro, but falls to Nueva Ecija
nament will also be the chance for senior high students to show their prowess since there are some collegiate scouts watching the tournament.
The softball competition is organized by Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil), the governing body for softball in the country, led by Asaphil President Jean Henri Lhuillier.
The softball tournament has started last Dec. 15 and will end on Dec. 22. /