JAKARTA – The Philippines lost to Chinese Taipei, 3-2, on Wednesday in a match that would have assured the Blu Girls their first-ever bronze in the Asian Games.
Lai Mengting brought home the winning run for the Taiwanese to pick up the win and arrange a rematch with the Blu Girls on Thursday night in the page-system playoffs, the winner of which will get the bronze medal.
The Blu Girls loaded the bases twice including in the sixth inning when Hailey Decker was tagged out at home after a wild pitch, the closest the Philippines got in breaking the 2-2 tie. In total, eight Blu Girls runners were left on base.
A win would have given the Philippines a sure bronze medal, a first for the Blu Girls since softball was played in the Asiad in 1990.
But head coach Randy Dizer rued mental lapses on the part of the Blu Girls late in the match.
“Masakit kasi we were given more chances of winning the game early but we didn’t deliver,” said Dizer. “That’s the plan that we stick to them, stay close. We have an advantage pitching-wise. The only thing is kulang pa sa puso. Pero we will bounce back tomorrow.”
Decker blasted a two-run homer at the top of the fourth for a 2-1 lead but Chinese Taipei tied it at the bottom of the inning with lead-off home run by Li Szushih.
Linescore:
Philippines 0002000 2 7 0
Chinese Taipei 0011001 3 7 0
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