8 teams to playoffs, 5 falls in Budweiser softball

Eight teams this week have already assured spots in the playoff round of the 2009 Budweiser Inter-Government/Business Slow-pitch Softball League.

Undefeated defending champion Department of Community and Cultural Affairs led the march of early qualifiers with its 18-0 record. The other teams were Docomo (15-4), Beach Boys (14-3), Freedom Air (14-4), Joeten Motor Jets (13-5), No Zone (13-5), Commonwealth Ports Authority (12-4), and Legislature (11-7).

All eight teams can afford to lose all of their remaining games, but they still have to win them anyway since their standing after the regular season would determine their ranking in the playoffs.

DCCA, however, had been assured of the No. 1 spot. Its last game was scheduled last night against Pacific Islands Club.

PIC (5-12) along with four other teams, Customs (4-14), Mayor’s Office (4-13), Law & Order (3-14), and Hopwood (0-17), are already out of playoff contention even if they win all their remaining games.

Seven teams still have the chance to secure the last two seats and that include POI Aviation (8-8), P&S (8-8), CUC (7-10), CRM/DEQ (7-11), DLNR (6-12), PSS (6-11), and CHC (5-11).

From the looks of it, POI and P&S need to win two of their last three games to complete the cast and eliminate the rest of the field.

No Zone won its last two games by beating P&S, 13-9, on Monday aided by two homeruns from Jerry Ayuyu and Bruce Norita, who went 4-for-4 with six RBI and a double.

Earlier on March 13, No Zone ousted PIC from the playoffs with a 19-9 win as four of its players rained homers, including Ned Norita, Ayuyu, Manny Sablan, and Bruce Norita.

PIC forfeited its Wednesday game against CHC.

Also on Wednesday, POI kept its hopes alive with a 14-8 triumph at the expense of CRM/DEQ, which is on the brink of elimination. It needs to win its last two games to make the next round.

Joeten Motor Jets scored an easy 14-3 victory against the eliminated Mayor’s Office on March 13.

In the women’s division, Finance needed only five innings to post a 15-5 win over CHC.

Three Finance players hit homers, Pauline Tudela in the first, Julie Guerrero, and Emma Tenorio, both in the fifth.

Results of the games Wednesday night showed CUC winning over CRM/DEQ, 15-8, with Oscar Sablan hitting three homeruns and Ton Guerrero making one.

Docomo climbed to solo second by crushing the league’s favorite whipping team Hopwood, 14-4, and PSS went home early after Customs forfeited its game for the second time.