MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATED) The Philippine women's softball team extended their dominance in the Southeast Asian Games with an 8-0 demolition of Indonesia in the gold medal match, Sunday morning at The Villages in the town of Mabalacat in Pampanga.
It was the 10th gold medal for the Blu Girls, who forced the mercy rule after the fifth inning to wrap up another sensational campaign in the SEA Games.
The victory marked a return to the top of the podium for the Blu Girls as softball was not played in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Of all the softball titles by the Blu Girls, this is the easiest and the sweetest,” said team manager Randy Dizer. “It’s because we played in our home court, that’s the biggest thing.”
Their triumph was a fitting sendoff to Cheska Altomonte and Garrie Blando, who played their final games for the national team.
The Blu Girls have won SEA Games golds in 1979, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2015.
The Blu Boys, however, failed to retain their crown as they lost to Singapore, 1-6, in the gold medal match also on Sunday.
It was the first time the Philippines lost the men’s title since the 1997 edition when the country bowed to Indonesia.
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