NOT even a long ball could stop Manila from getting a lopsided win.

                Despite giving up an early home run, the Sharks snatched their second-straight win and the early coleadership by beating the Forward Taguig Patriots, 11-1, in the Baseball Philippines Series III tournament Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

                Manila-Harbour Centre made up for a four-bagger by Taguig’s Ernesto Binarao off Charlie Labrador at the top of the second inning by drilling in five runs early—two in the second and three in the third.

                “We didn’t think about that home run. They were still very confident about their hitting and pitching,” said Manila manager Joel Palanog in Filipino.

                In the first game, the defending champion Cebu Dolphins won without breaking a sweat against the Makati Mariners.

                Cebu-ITI won, 9-0, by default because majority of Makati’s players, who are from University of Santo Tomas, are in Zamboanga for the Private Schools Athletic Association Nationals this week.

                Cebu and Manila are atop the standings with 2-0 cards each and will face each other in a rematch of the Series II championship game.

                Joey Guerrero’s one-out double in the second off starter Ronaldo de los Reyes scored both Edward Landicho and Roderick Gammaru. Landicho walked and reached third on a Gammaru double to draw up the scoring play.

                In the third, Marvin Malig doubled to the left field line pushing Christian Galedo, who singled and reached second on a Niño Tator walk. Then Galedo scored on a fielding error and Gammaru singled as Tator chalked up another Manila run.

                After clustering two runs in the sixth, the Sharks nailed four more runs to end the game via the 10-run mercy rule.

                Binarao’s shot hit the screen set up on top of the right field wall—an automatic home run. But that was the lone bright spot for the Patriots. They even gave up three errors that produced scoring opportunities for the Sharks.

                Labrador pitched six innings and allowed only one run in four hits. He fanned out five batters before relinquishing the mound to Romeo Jasmin, who yielded two hits.

GERRY LEADS ‘INVASION’

WORLD bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa fulfilled his promise of defending the country’s turf against foreign invaders out to test him and fellow top-notch Filipino fighters.

MARQUEZ FLIES IN TO PERSONALLY AIR CHALLENGE

SO eager is Juan Manuel Marquez in facing Manny Pacquiao for a third time that he planed in Sunday morning and watched the Gerry Peñalosa-led domination of Filipino fighters at the Araneta Coliseum.

ANGELO QUE has arrived at 29 years old. And from the looks of it, he would soon be sitting alongside Frankie Miñoza’s throne—as the country’s top pro golfer to date.

JAKARTA—The outcome was plain and simple. But explaining how it got to that point, not quite so.

NOT even a long ball could stop Manila from getting a lopsided win.

THE old coach had some words of advice for the young and upcoming one.

“After a player’s fourth year in college, ask him if he’s coming back to play in his final year of eligibility or if he’s turning pro. Let them make the decision.”