AN UNDERMANNED UST Softbelles settled for third place after losing to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), 1-2, in the Cebuana-Lhuillier Summer Grandslam 6 National Softball Championships at the Clark Parade Ground, Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga from April 29 to May 5.
The Softbelles missed the services of national team players Melanie Laserna, Esmeralda Tayag, and team captain Karen Paghubasan, relying on rookies Bea del Rosario and Mallows Garde.
UST mainstay KJ Lacupa led a scoring a run on a “pitcher-catcher” error on top of the fourth inning, 1-1. But PUP scored the winning hit in the eighth inning via a sacrifice bat.
Rizal province and PUP finished first and second, respectively, in the tournament that also gathered Central Luzon State University, and University of Baguio, and squads from Antipolo City, Tarlac City, and National Capital Region.
The Softbelles finished first in the same tournament in Baguio two years ago. Carla Patricia S. Perez
