Fate in rare Saturday game for KO championship

By Emz Frial

Posted: May 12, 2018

The all-Filipino softball team, Fate, faces a tough battle today in the championship round of the Festival of Sports, a knock-out tournament, not because it is not up to the task, but because the game was scheduled on a day when most of its players are at work.

It is the first time that the team will play a game, a crucial one at that, on a Saturday, instead of the usual Sunday when its players who are all domestic workers, are off work.

Fate’s team captain Don Gaborno had pleaded with organizers through team manager Law Wai Ho to reschedule the final game at Shek Kip Mei field, but their local rival, Astro, refused to give way.

Fate goes into the final round with an unblemished record, having defeated all its rivals - and in most cases - even prevented them from scoring a single point.

Fate and Phoenix Ghost players in a friendly pose after their match on May 6

The last to bow down to its might was local team Phoenix Ghost, in a game on May 6 that ended with Fate chalking up an impressive 11-nil win in the KO series.

Fate did even better in the regular league, when it outclassed rival Celsius in spectacular fashion,  scoring 20-nil in a game on Apr 29 that lasted the full four innings.

In the KO round, Fate started as an away team. In the first inning three of its players immediately made the mark: Myra Japitana,  Editha Hidalgo and Don Gaborno. The locals’ turn to bat amounted to nothing because pitcher Gaborno’s fast balls resulted in two consecutive standing out for Phoenix, while the third batter managed to hit the ball and and run the bases. The next batter also connected with the ball and move on. However, the two batters got stuck at the bases because the third was again called for standing out. The inning ended with the score at 3-0 in favor of Fate.

In the second inning,  Fate piled up four more points, with help from Maribel Sitchon,  Japitana,  Eunice Locop and Gaborno.  The locals managed to have three players standing on the batting plate but again failed to score. The inning ended at 7-0 for Fate.

In the third inning, Sitchon,  Reyze Valeriano and Japitana all scored, raising Fate’s lead by 10 to nil against its rival. Phoenix tried its best to turn the tide, or at least score a point, but heartless Fate did not allow them.

In the fourth inning Jeremiah Gabales further added to Fate’s score, to end the game at 11-0.

In the regular league, Fate did even better, slamming its local rival Celsius with a score of 20-0 at a game played on Apr 29, also at the Shek Kip Mei field. 

Unbeatable Fate started piling the scores from the first inning, with a point each coming from Japitana,  Gaborno,  Gabales and  Bambee Abadilla.  

When the locals took their turn to bat, only the first three players got the chance to stand on the batting plate. The first batter was called for standing out, while the next two were caught on a pass ball to the first base. The inning closed at 4-0 for Fate.

Fate scored seven more points in the second inning, courtesy of Hidalgo,  Locop,  Japitana, Gaborno,  Abadilla,  Percy Jayme and Sitchon.

The locals again found it hard to score, seemingly because Gaborno’s balls were just too fast for them to hit. Two of Celsius’ batters were called for standing out while a third was caught on a flyball by second baseman Jayme. The score at the end of the second inning was 11-0 for Fate.

Fate added four more scored in the third winning, closing it at 15-1. Those who contributed to the round were Hidalgo,  Gaborno,  Gabales and Charlie Gat-Eb. 

Despite the highly lopsided match, the umpire did not call for regulation and instead allowed the game to continue until the last inning.

In the fourth and final inning, Fate piled up five more points, to close it at a spectacular 20-0 finish. Those who scored were Hidalgo,  Juliet Fernandez,  Japitana,  Gabales and Gat-Eb. 

.