Blu Girls punch ticket to Asian Games after back-to-back shutouts

July 17 ------ The Philippines officially secured a spot in next year’s Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after recording back-to-back blowout wins against India and Malaysia in the ongoing 2025 Women’s Softball Asia Cup on Wednesday at the Xi’an Physical Education University Softball Stadium in China.

Bouncing back from a tough 1-9, six-inning defeat to defending champion Japan the day prior, the Blu Girls responded with a resounding 15-0 rout of India — not only climbing back into the tournament’s top eight but also strengthening their bid for a medal finish later in the week.

The top eight teams from the Asia Cup qualify for the Asian Games, and the Philippines has now locked in one of those coveted spots. With the twin wins, the Blu Girls improved to a 4-1 win-loss record, good for solo third place behind undefeated Japan and host China, both at 4-0.

The Philippines will return to action on Thursday with a doubleheader, facing Singapore at 11:00 AM, before taking on China at 3:00 PM. Against India, the Blu Girls jumped to a 6-0 lead after two innings, before breaking the game wide open with a nine-run explosion in the third. Roma Jane Cruz sparked the rally with a booming home run to deep center field, setting the tone for the eventual mercy-rule victory.

Cruz, a key player from 12-time UAAP champions Adamson University, finished with a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, tallying three runs. Infielders MJ Maguad and Charlotte Sales also contributed stellar offensive performances, each going 2-for-2 in the game. The Blu Girls wrapped up their dominant day with a 14-0 shutout win over Malaysia, punching their ticket to the 2026 Asiad in emphatic fashion.

This time, they erupted for nine runs in the opening inning alone, with NCAA Division I standout Mylia Perez leading the charge. Perez, currently playing for Stanford University, smashed a drive to left-center to score Sky Ellazar, who had reached base with a single to the same spot. Later in the inning, Perez delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Sales.Online basketball game

The rookie out of San Ramon, California, finished the game with one hit and two RBIs before handing over left-field duties to UAAP Season 86 MVP Angelu Gabriel. Cruz continued her consistent performance with another strong outing, going 2-for-3, while Sydney Vitangcol added three RBIs — two of which came in that explosive first inning.

Source: tiebreakertimes.com.ph