Red tops Blue in Fil-Am Friendship Day Baseball

JUSTIN ZIALCITA donned the hero’s cape as he hammered a two-run homerun in the seventh inning that pushed the Red All Stars to a 7-5 win over the Blue All Stars in the 2011 Pepsi Fil-Am Friendship Day Baseball Philippines All-Star Game at the Alabang Country Club last Sunday.

Zialcita’s homer across the left field capped the day’s festivities held as part of the Fil-Am Day celebrations with US Ambassador Harry Tomas gracing the event that featured the best players of Baseball Philippines.

Manila’s Jon Jon Robles came in relief for the Red team and put the first two batters out. Cebu’s Lorenzo Ubungen was hit by a pitch before Fongs Rances grounded out to put an end to the All-Star game.

The Red team racked up four runs in the first inning with Manila’s Francis Candela capping it with a two-run double. But the Blue team countered in the fourth behind a two-run double by Taguig’s Denver Largo for a 5-4 lead. Candela tied the count as he blasted a home run to left center field in the sixth.

The US envoy also led the other baseball officials in honoring the Philippine baseball and softball teams set to compete in various international competitions, including the Southeast Asian Games-bound squad./Correspondent Jonas Panerio