Bulacan ousts USA West, enters WS final

Asia-Pacific champ Norzagaray, Bulacan outclassed USA West, 6-4, to march to the championship round of the Junior League Softball World Series Friday at Everest Park in Kirkland, Washington (early yesterday in Manila).

With Jovelyn Policarpio spearheading the attack, the Bulacan softbelles unloaded four runs in the first inning to seize control then quashed the late fightback from their semifinals rivals from Sunnyside, Tucson, Arizona to secure their place in the finals.

The Bulakeñas gun for a milestone crown Saturday afternoon (early Sunday in Manila) against USA Southeast, which clobbered USA Southwest, 12-5, in their own semis duel. The Bulacan belles have their hands full against Southeast representative Tampa Bay, a team that dealt them a 3-18 beating in five innings back in group play.

Policarpio belted a double to left field to drive Jojielyn Lim and Alma Tauli home and get things going for Bulacan on the top of the first. She then reached the plate off Angel Rose Libaton’s bunt. Libaton later scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-0.

West pulled one back via Jazmine Ayala’s RBI triple in the bottom first before Lim and Ana Veronica Santiago plated a runner each in the fourth and fifth, respectively, to give AsPac a 6-1 cushion.

The Tuczon batters unleashed a fierce rally in the seventh, with Arlett Arreola setting things off with a home run off Tauli. They managed two more runs before Bulacan catcher Gieselle Villarubia collected a popup by Ayala to secure the third and final out.

Tauli, who gave up nine hits, four earned runs, and struck out five in a seven-inning stint, took the win. Bulacan’s batters tagged West’s Marina Gomez, Angel Sallas and Ayala with a combined 10 hits, with Policarpio (2-for-4) delivering two RBIs and one run.