Philippine Habagat hangs with baseball super power Korea

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Habagat baseball team surprised 4^th ranked Korea, as they pushed the baseball powerhouse to 7 innings in an exhibition game that lasted for nearly 4 hours in the PONY Asia Pacific Zone Division Championship on Wednesday, July 13 at the Ayala Alabang Golf and Country Club in Muntinlupa City.

Korea picked up the victory, 16-6, but the underdog Habagat team gave them a scare as the Philippines led 6-4 after 5 innings. Korea tied the game at 6-6, in the 6^th inning before pulling away in the 7^th with a 10-run inning.   

According to Habagat team president Mike Ochosa, their primary goal for the team of 13-14 year olds was to test their ability to compete against the world’s best. 

“You don’t do that to Korea, 7 innings is the total number of innings that we have played. Normally, [after] 5 innings lamang na yung kalaban nag-reregulation,” Ochosa said. “This morning, di lang naming sila dinala sa seven innings, we were actually leading and then they just tied us at the sixth [inning]. So at that level we already achieved a point,” he added. 

(“You don’t do that to Korea, 7 innings is the total number of innings that we have played. Normally, [after] 5 innings they are already leading which results to regulation,” Ochosa said. “This morning, we did not just take them to 7 innings, we were actually leading and then they just tied us at the sixth [inning]. So at that level we already achieved a point,” he added.)

The quest continues 

Later in the afternoon, Habagat faced Chinese Taipei, the third-ranked baseball country in the world, and were outplayed, 28-0, in 5 innings.

“I told the boys ‘just keep on playing,’” Ochosa said. According to Ochosa, what was most important is that the young team from the 28th ranked baseball nation had a taste of international competition against the world’s elite. 

Ochosa said that Habagat will continue to move forward in their journey to baseball supremacy after the PONY tournament. The Philippine team trains each week, and they even invite young Filipino boys into their camp to train with them.

Despite the outcomes, the Habagat team founder is optimistic that tournaments like this one will help return Philippines to its former diamond glory.

 “It can be done,” Ochosa said. – Rappler.com