The 3MC Marist of Koronadal City proved the long trip to Davao City was worth it after overpowering the Kidapawan Vikings, 6-1, to capture the 89th Araw ng Dabaw Baseball Tournament title on Sunday, March 15, at Calinan National High School.
In an all-Region 12 championship showdown, the Marist sluggers unleashed a sharp offensive attack that kept the Vikings on the defensive and secured the trophy for Koronadal.
Marist took control early in the second inning with a decisive five-run rally that stunned Kidapawan’s defense. Kenn Benedict Vergonia, Lesten Sanchez, Lloyd Salarda, Dhyn Hurter Balanon, Lance Sunga, and Seltiel Jalotjot all crossed the plate during the surge to build a commanding lead.
Kidapawan managed to avoid the shutout in the fourth inning when Alvin Maunes scored the Vikings’ lone run. Marist quickly answered in the fifth inning with an insurance run to seal the 6-1 victory.
Earlier in the tournament, 3MC Marist defeated ABSA of Davao de Oro, 7-2, to reach the finals. The Kidapawan Vikings advanced after edging Davao RAF, 4-2.
In the battle for third place, Davao RAF blanked ABSA, 4-0, to finish second runner-up.
Tournament organizer Vincent Ryan P. Sarabia said the four-team field delivered tightly contested games despite the compact format.
“Dili sad expected na sila ang mudaug kay tanan teams contender man (It was not really expected that they would win because all the teams were contenders),” Sarabia said in a Messenger interview with SunStar Davao, noting that the participating teams have faced each other many times in regional leagues. “Dati naman na sila nagalaban-laban sa mga liga, pulihanay ra usahay kinsa mu-champion (They’ve faced each other many times in the leagues, and sometimes the championship just goes back and forth between them).”
Sarabia also praised the strong camaraderie among the teams.
“Ang tournament kay well-organized ug ang sportsmanship kay excellent kay magkaila ra man gud mi tanan tungod sa kadugay na namo sige kita sa mga tournaments sa Mindanao (The tournament was well-organized, and the sportsmanship was excellent because we all know each other from years of competing in tournaments across Mindanao),” he said.
Because the tournament followed a one-day format, organizers did not hand out individual awards or MVP honors, highlighting the collective effort of the competing teams.
The baseball meet formed part of the 89th Araw ng Dabaw sports festival, presented by the city government of Davao through the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office (SDD-CMO). Aia Bernadette Alejandro/DNSC, Sunstar Intern