AICHI, Japan — The Philippine women’s national softball team turned in a dominant performance on Tuesday, September 29, crushing regional rival Thailand, 7-0, at the Anjo Softball Grounds in Aichi Prefecture to keep its medal pursuit alive at the 20th Asian Games.
Building on momentum from the previous day, Charlotte Sales launched a home run for her second consecutive game, providing early offensive spark for the Blu Girls. On the defensive end, the pitching trio of Mary Joy Laurente, MJ Alpitche, and Sydney Vitangcol delivered a masterclass on the mound, limiting the Thai batters to just two hits throughout the entire contest.
The decisive victory marks the second straight win for the Filipina batters, who previously bounced back from opening-round defeats against juggernauts Japan (0-10) and Chinese Taipei (1-10) by defeating South Korea, 7-3.
With a 2-2 win-loss record, the Nationals have climbed into the top four standings of the tournament’s round-robin phase. Under the competition format, the top two squads will battle for the gold medal, while the third and fourth-placed teams will face off for the bronze.
The Blu Girls are set to complete their remaining schedule against Singapore on Wednesday, September 30, followed by a matchup against China on Thursday, October 1, and a final pool game against Hong Kong on Friday, October 2.
The Philippine squad is seeking its first-ever Asian Games podium finish after placing fourth in three consecutive editions of the quadrennial games in 2014 (Incheon), 2018 (Jakarta-Palembang), and 2022 (Hangzhou).