The Philippine Blu Girls booked a spot in the softball bronze medal match after defeating Hong Kong, 9-3, on Friday, Oct. 2, at the Anjo Softball Ground in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, keeping their bid for a first Asian Games podium finish alive.
The Blu Girls finished the elimination round with a 4-3 win-loss record and will face Chinese Taipei in the bronze medal match.
Angelu Gabriel opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning to give the Philippines a 1-0 lead.
The Philippines widened the gap in the second inning as Roma Cruz lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Charlotte Sales before a Hong Kong fielding error pushed the lead to 3-0.
Reyae Villamin then blasted a two-run homer to deep left field, while Skylynne Ellazar drove in Gabriel to extend the Philippines' advantage to 6-0.
The Filipinas continued to load the bases in the third inning, with a walk adding another run to make it 7-0. However, Gabriel's ensuing hit was caught for the final out of the frame.
Hong Kong came alive in the third inning as Yui Chi Pong and Yee Lam Chan delivered consecutive RBI hits to cut the Philippines' lead to 7-3.
Cruz then launched another booming two-run homer in the fifth inning to restore the Filipinas' lead, 9-3.
Reliever Royevel Palma held off the Hong Kong squad in the next four innings only allowing three hits, throwing 60 pitches.
The Filipinas will look to bounce back from their 10-1 loss to the Taiwanese in the elimination round on Saturday, Oct. 3.