Biggest day yet
PATHUM THANI, Thailand—As part of the only defeat the Philippines suffered in the Southeast Asian Games baseball competition, assistant coach Joseph Orillana knew the feeling he didn’t want to experience again.
“Our loss in 2007 really stings,” Orillana said in Filipino, referring to their setback against Thailand that year when he was at his prime as a player. “That’s why I told the team that we have to jump at them right from the beginning.”
Orillana was more than glad to be on the winning side—this time as coach Orlando Binarao’s trusted deputy—as the Philippines extended its dominance on the diamond to highlight the PH delegation’s most productive day in the 33rd edition.
The final score on Friday was 5-3 at Queen Sirikit Baseball Stadium here, making it three gold medals in a row and fourth overall in the five times baseball was played in this biennial meet.
Baseball was one of six golds Team Philippines won before Day 3 came to an end, as the country now has 11 gold medals to go with 16 silver and 33 bronze medals.
This town, located north of Bangkok, also saw another golden feat by Team PH, with artistic gymnast John Ivan Cruz ruling the men’s vault event at Thammasat University.
Cruz actually shared the gold with Malaysia’s Aimy Muhammad Sharul, who also garnered 13.833 points, after the scores were recomputed following a protest. Thailand’s Surintornta Tikumporn took the bronze with 13.717, as Cruz atoned for falling short in his defense of the floor exercise two years ago in Cambodia.
It’s the second gold for gymnastics after Aleah Finnegan won the women’s vault the other day.
“My real target was to defend my floor exercise (title), but maybe this is God’s will,” said Cruz.
Over in Bangkok, golds were produced in swimming, athletics and taekwondo, with Kayla Sanchez bouncing back from a silver finish in the 50-meter backstroke by winning the 100-meter freestyle at 54.82 seconds at the SAT Swimming Pool.
Rookie jin takes gold
At Supachalasai Stadium, hurdler John Tolentino took the 110-meter event with a new Games record of 13.66 seconds, while jin Tachiana Kezhia Mangin, in her SEA Games debut at 18, won the women’s 49kg class.
Hokett Delos Santos won the second gold from athletics after topping the men’s decathlon event, compiling 6,917 points after the two-day series of events to cop the gold. Thailand’s Suttisak Singkhon took the silver with 6,649 points while Indonesia’s Richsan Idan Fauzan edged out Janry Ubas for bronze with 6,582, nine more than the second Filipino entry.
Still, the day belonged to the National batters, with Romeo Jasmin, a 37-year-old hurler who at times would make submarine throws, pitching a gem that undoubtedly keyed the victory.
On six days’ rest, Jasmin was to put on a big performance that frustrated the Thai bats and their hometown supporters.
Jasmin shut out Thailand through the first five innings and fanned 10 through eight, more than the initial plan of tossing at least six before handing the ball to reliever Amiel de Guzman.
“There was really a lot of pressure coming into this competition because Thailand came out with a completely different team,” said Jasmin, as the Thais made clear their intentions of ending the Filipinos’ reign by including Thai heritage players.
But leaning on his veteran savvy, Jasmin came through when needed before De Guzman slammed the door on Thailand by getting the final three outs.
The offense did its part, with backstop Mark Steven Manaig getting the Filipinos on the board with a single to left in the first inning that scored from first veteran Jennald Pareja, who played through a groin injury.
The run production proved to be handy for Jasmin, who weathered some threats by Thailand in the latter innings.
Meanwhile, Rolando Bregente, after starting the day tied for the individual lead in men’s golf, cooled down with a one-over-par 73 to now be in third, seven shots behind Thai leader Laopakdee Pongsapak, who shot a 66.
In the women’s event, overnight co-leader Rianne Malixi fell to a seventh place tie after shooting a 79. She now trails Thai Kaopattanaskul Kritchanya by nine strokes.
