ANGELES CITY, Pampanga -- Philippine softball teams endured different fates during their semifinals runs in the Southeast Asian Games Friday at The Villages in Mabalacat.
The RP Blu Girls wasted no time dispatching Malaysia by blowing them out in just four innings, 12-0, to book a finals appearance. A hot start fueled the romp as they blasted their counterparts with six of their runs in just the first inning.
The squad scored six more combined in the next two innings to book the win.
On the other hand, the RP Blu Boys sustained their first loss in the regional meet after 22 years after a shock loss to Singapore, 4-3.
Singapore broke away with two runs at the bottom of the second and third innings to take a commanding 4-1 lead that the Filipinos couldn't close out. The Philippine scored two more on the fourth and seventh to close the gap, but that didn't prove to be nearly enough.
The Philippines last lost in the SEA Games last 1997, where the country was knocked off by an upset by hosts Indonesia.
Singapore, which also beat the Philippines earlier this year in the World Men's Softball Championship, will advance to the finals. The Blu Boys, meanwhile, will have to beat the winner of the Thailand-Indonesia match to get a chance at winning gold.
the men's baseball team dumped Indonesia 14-1 in the semifinals to advance to the gold-medal match, which will be played on Dec. 8.