International softball tournament set this Sunday

SOFTBALL players from abroad will be in Cebu this Sunday for the first-ever Mayor Soc Fernandez International Invitational Softball Tournament at the Talisay Central School grounds.

Four elite teams will be competing in the double-loss eliminations tournament.

The event was launched yesterday at the Sports Exchange Bar along Mango Avenue. Present during the launching were Mike Lopez, Rick Harris and Perry Mcneely. Harris and McNeely are both from the visiting Pattaya Thailand team.

The three other teams that will be competing are Team Salazar, which has three Philippine team members, Landing Liloan and host team Jaclupan of Talisay.

Mayor Socrates Fernandez will be present to do the ceremonial pitch before the start of the tournament, according to Lopez.

“We are slow pitchers in Thailand. Cebuanos are fast pitchers so they already have the advantage against us,” said Mcneely.

Cebuano softball players are used to play fast pitch softball that has 10 players in the field. According to Mcneely, they might catch the home teams off guard since they are good in their offensive game.

The cash prizes for the tournament was donated by Team Thailand and the Talisay City government.

Team Salazar, which recently competed in the Philippine National Games, has three Philippine Team members in Ben Maraviles, George Marquez and Oscar Bradshaw.

The team will be coached by one of Cebu’s veteran softball coach and trainer, Dionisio Bacarisas.  CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL