COME-FROM-BEHIND victories were the theme in Baseball Philippines Series III Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

The Manila Sharks retained their unbeaten run beating the Batangas Bulls, 8-3, while Kelly Culubong blasted a walk-off home run, and the Dumaguete Unibikers nipped the still-winless Makati Mariners, 6-5.

The Sharks unleashed their romp tallying three runs in the seventh inning and four in the ninth to come back from a 3-0 deficit winning their sixth in a row.

“We started slow but I noticed that we can hit off the pitcher in the seventh. I knew we could come back,” said Manila-Harbour Centre assistant manager Orlando Binarao.

Batangas, which lost only its second game in five games, looked poised for an upset after Virgilio Roxas came through with a home run to right in a three-run second inning.

After scoring a run in the third, the Sharks romped in the seventh, getting a 4-3 lead as Romeo Bumagat doubled off starter Vladimir Eguia to push Niño Tator, who earlier doubled, home. Marvin Malig singled to advance Bumagat home before scoring on a double by Rommel Roja.

Malig ensured the win with a four-bagger to right in a four-run ninth of the tournament sponsored by Mizuno, Gatorade, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, Industrial Enterprises, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park, Welcoat Paints and San Mig Coffee, with partners Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and dzSR Sports Radio.

Manila’s victory was especially comforting for manager Joel Palanog, who is mourning the death of a friend and former teammate Jeffrey Embuido, who died due to an accident.

Culubong, who is also the Unibikers’ assistant manager, drilled a two-run shot to left field on a 0-1 count off relief pitcher Edito Justo’s offspeed pitch to take the win after the Mariners scored three runs in the ninth to take the lead, 4-3.

“I’ve been looking for a home run all day. I looked for an offspeed pitch, and I hit it,” said the 29-year-old Culubong from Santa Rosa, Laguna, who helped the Unibikers improve to 2-3.

Makati allowed the tying run to reach first base after shortstop Chris Canlas muffed a routine flyout of Andro Cuyugan that would have given the Mariners one out away from what should have been their first win in five games.

Instead, Culubong blasted the game-winning home run, which supposed to be only a tying run had Canlas caught the ball.

Manila starter Charlie Labrador retained his composure in the late moments against Batangas tossing a three-run, six-hit, six-strikeout complete game.

Eguia had a strong start yielding only a run and six hits in 6-2/3 but struggled to get the final out of the seventh as Manila scattered four hits before being replaced by Roel Batuto.

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COME-FROM-BEHIND victories were the theme in Baseball Philippines Series III Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

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