LEAGUE leading YLAD Cubzats and Betag take center stage Saturday as they battle each other to gain the upper hand in the leader board as action in the nine-team Baguio Slo-Pitch tournament resumes at the BSU grounds.
With both enjoying the number one spot with identical 5 – 1 win-loss cards, both squads square off at 10:30 in the morning following the game of the Advocates and Tabangoen which are fighting for dear life in tight race to the semis.
“It’s going to be a tough call. The team which plays better will take the solo number one [position] and hopefully our team can still have the drive to win coming off from a long vacation,” said YLAD Cubzats’ Alex Dalog.
Both teams are coming off from a long lull since December 20 where YLAD suffered its first loss against Cresencia Village Barangay Batters while Betag also lost to the same team December 19.
Following the Cubzats – Betag game is the match between cellar dwellers Cordillera Career Development College and winless La Trinidad Water District (LTWD).
LTWD has yet to win after five games while CCDC is also at the bottom of the standings with a 1-5 win-loss record and tied with Tabangaoen.
After a slow start in the tournament, CVB romped off with four straight wins to finally catch-up with the leaders for a 5-2 win-loss showing and will take a day’s break before playing CCDC on January 10.
The Razors, currently at number five with a 4-3 win-loss slate will play the Tabangaoen Knights while the Royals, with a 2-4 win-loss slate will end the day with its match against CCDC.
At least three more playing dates are scheduled in the single round robin format tournament. With the pressure on Razors (4-3) will try to win two more games hoping to eke out a tie with either SLU or CVB and force a sudden death match for the Final Four.
Not to be discounted in the Final Four race are the Royals and the Advocates which have identical 2-4 records and need only to win their three remaining games and hope disaster would strike in the last four playing dates for Razors, SLU, and CVB to arrange another possible playoffs for the semis.
Betag and the YLAD have the inside track in the race for two outright Final Four berths. (Roderick Osis)