The national baseball team overcame an early deficit before spoiling Sri Lanka’s comeback late to produce an 8-5 victory Tuesday night and barge into the win column in the Asian Baseball Championship.
Veteran Jonash Ponce belted a three-run homer that enabled the PH squad to tie the game in the third inning, lost a 5-3 lead in the eighth before driving in three more in the 9th to bounce back from an opening game defeat.
Starting pitcher Paolo Macasaet struck out nine batters in 7 1/3 innings before Junmar Diarao picked up the save with a scoreless ninth to seal the Philippines’ victory.
With the win, the Egay delos Reyes-coached PH team kept its semifinal hopes alive in the tournament, forging a tie for second with South Korea in Group A.
The two countries were playing at press time, with the Philippines facing a daunting task against the fancied Koreans.
