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The all-Filipina team Fate is savoring its title as champion of the Hong Kong Softball Association’s regular league, after winning the final match against local team Red Castle Infinity by the slimmest of margins, 5-4.
Fate sailed to victory in the Tin Kwong Road field on Jul 29 with a spotless record.
Fate was equally determined not to let their rivals score, so the first two innings ended with no other point being made except Japitana’s shocker.
In the third inning Fate added another point, courtesy of Eunice Locop. But it was Red Castle’s time to shine, garnering four points in succession, thanks to Chan Hoi Man , Tsansa Wing Yu, Fury Pik Shan and Cheung Wing Kin. The inning ended with Infinity ahead, 4-2.
In the fourth inning, Editha Hidalgo added another point for Fate, while the locals were stuck at 4. The inning ended with Infinity still in the lead at 4-3.
Tension filled the air in the successive two innings when neither team managed to score. Fate’s supporters who trooped to the venue were particularly tense.
But the tension soon gave way to relief for the Filipinas’ supporters when the team managed to add two more points to their score to overtake their rivals and secure the championship trophy on a score of 5-4. The last-minute heroes were team captain Don Gaborno and Jeremiah Gabales.
It was the 11th straight win for Fate in the league, with no loss.
It secured its berth in the finals on Jul 22 at Shek Kip Mei field when it beat locals Deborah in a lopsided game that ran for five innings, 22-3.
First to bat was Myra Japitana who blasted an outfield ball that allowed her to get to second base. Then Eunice Locop batted and was safe to first base. Third batter Maribel Sitchon smashed the ball to the outfield, then ran up to the second base, as Japitana and Locop all reached home.
Later Sitchon also ran to home base when Don Gaborno hit a short infield ball. Gaborno also reached home safely, which all added up to four points for Fate.
When the locals took their turn to bat, only four players managed to stand on the batters’ box. The first of their batters was caught on a flyball by short stop Editha Hidalgo, while the second and fourth batters were called standing out.
The score remained at 4-0 in Fate’s favor at the end of the inning.
In the second inning Fate added three more to its score, courtesy of Japitana, Locop and Gaborno. Again, the Filipinas’ tight defense made it difficult for the locals to step on the bases.
The first batter on the other side was caught on a flyball by center fielder Sitchon, while the next two batters were both caught on the first base.
The second inning ended with scores at 7-nil, again in Fate’s favor.
Deborah bounced back with a vengeance in the third inning, scoring three points while preventing Fate from reaching home base. Those who scored for the local team were Chiu Ka Yee, Ngai Sze Hing and Hui Ka Wai.
That brought the score to 7-3 for Fate, at the end of the inning.
But Fate’s luck was not over yet. The team scored a bounty of 8 points in the fourth inning, raising their score to 15. The locals were again blanked. Those who scored for Fate were ; Hidalgo, Jonalyn Cupag, Percy Jayme, Juliet Fernandez, May Ledesma, Japitana, Locop and Sitchon.
With the scores at 15-3 for Fate at the end of the fourth inning, the writing was clearly on the wall.
But there was still no stopping Fate. By the end of the fifth and final inning, the locals had added 7 more points, making the final score 22-3 in their favor.
Team captain Gaborno was understandably pleased and thankful for the overwhelming win, and again credited it to the cooperation and unity among the players.
