Marlins, Lady Umangs are back-to-back softball champs

The Kagman Elementary School boys softball team and Koblerville Elementary School girls softball team both clinched their second consecutive Elementary Interscholastic Sports Organization Slow-pitch Softball championships last Wednesday at the Dandan Elementary School Field.

The Koblerville Lady Umangs shut out the Oleai Elementary School Lady Turtles, 10-0, in the first match just before the Kagman Marlins took the field and downed the William S. Reyes Elementary School Kingfishers, 6-5.

In the boys finals, the Marlins came up empty in the top of the first inning and Kingfishers took an early 5-0 lead in the bottom frame.

The Marlins then managed to get a couple of runs back in the bottom of the second, and after a quiet third, the Marlins knotted up the game at 5-all in the top of the fourth.

The Marlins then pressed on and took the lead, 6-5, in the top of the fifth. The Kingfishers threatened in the bottom frame, but the Marlins’ defense held strong and both teams remained silent in the last two frames.

The Marlins are made up of sixth graders Bernard Adolfo, Donald Pangelinan, Jeffrey Dela Cruz, Jeffrey Castro, Cedric Camacho, Verlance Secharmedal, Roque Dela Cruz, Wilson Nelson, Vincent Laniyu with fifth graders Angel and Jesse Dawe, Shawn Santos, Bradley Pangelinan, Khalid Islam, and Edward Reyes. The team is coached by Hellena Jebehn, Frank Arurang, Constancio Miday, and Maria Mettao.

In the girls game, the Lady Umangs took 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Oleai threatened in the top of the third, but the Lady Umangs escaped the inning with the bases loaded.

Later in the bottom of the fourth, Lady Umangs’ Veronian Babauta smashed a deep fly ball to the center field fence for an inside-the-park home run.

Then in the top of the fifth with one out, the Lady Turtles threatened again with ducks on the pond, but the Lady Umangs fended them off again with a diving catch by leftfielder Alosia Kaipat and a nifty line drive snag at second base by Kayla Rosario.

From there, the Lady Umangs piled on four more runs in the sixth and forced the Lady Turtles 1-2-3 in its final stand.

The Lady Umangs is comprised of Babauta, Kaipat, Rosario, Anesta Davis, Angie Rejano, Vergina Imperial, Jonne Villagomez, Krissa DL Guerrero, Roca Kaisan, Nevies Babauta, Jenica Muna, Torina Tito, and Renita Fleming. Francis Mendiola, George Cruz, Joe Etipson, Jerimiah Benavente, and Lester Babauta coach the team.

Kagman’s Jebehn was also the overall league coordinator of the EISO events this year.

“I’d like to thank John Terlaje and Frank Arurang for serving as our umpires this season I’d also like to thank all the coaches, players and the parents for their continued support,” said Jebehn yesterday in a phone interview.

Jebehn provided individual medals for the Top 3 place finishers of this year’s basketball and volleyball season as well as medals to the top two softball teams. According to Jebehn, Hopwood Junior High School principal Jonas Barcinas was supposed to provide awards for last season’s winners, but the players never received them.

Coincidentally, since the 2010 softball boys champions never received a trophy, Jebehn issued them all a set of extra medals that were left over from this year in an effort to make it up to them.

Eight teams made up both divisions. The other participating schools included San Roque Elementary School, Garapan Elementary School, Tanapag Elementary School, and San Vicente Elementary School.