Young batters of Sagada Ganduyan Bucks in Mountain Province settled to first and second runners-up in the recently held Little League Philippines Series national finals on June 3 to 9.
The Ganduyan Bucks 50/70 Intermediate baseball team have emerged as first runner-up after bowing twice to International Little League Association of Manila (Illam) in the best of three games, 7-0, in the
first game and 16-1 on the second game.
The games wereheld in Dasmariñas, Cavite and from there, the whole team travelled to Sto. Niño Elementary School in Marikina to witness the juniors’ event.
The juniors team, meanwhile, settled for second runner-up after going head-to-head against Iloilo, 21-9, on their first attempt and finally fought hard against the junior batters of Muntinlupa, 17-2, the scores heavily tipping to their opponents.
Ganduyan Bucks Coach Allen Angway said the highland players did not match the powers of their much bigger and taller opponents.
“We lost against them but the experiences of our young athletes were worth it,” Angway said.
After their games with the Illam, the Manila-based team also donated assorted sets of equipment including bats, jerseys, head gears, studs, among others to the Ganduyan Bucks athletes.
Other kindhearted Little League supporters also treated food to the young athletes of Sagada,Mountain Province during their stint at the national finals.
The Ganduyan Bucks intermediate and junior league earlier championed their respective divisions during the North Luzon cluster of the Little League, besting other teams from Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley
paving them a ticket to the national finals.
The group is composed of Little League (below 12 years old), Junior League (13 to 15 years old), and Big League (16 years old and above).
The active members of the Ganduyan Bucks are mostly from the different barangays of Sagada.
It is composed of 42 athletes with three teams plus nine adult coaches and trainers. –Ofelia
C. Empian
