RP downs Indonesia 7-3 at Asian Baseball Championship

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian nine failed to materialize an anticipated victory at its second match of the first division Asian Baseball Championship when the Philippines grabbed a 7-3 victory in Taipei on Wednesday.

"Our team played quite well today against the Filipinos but we were too slow even though our batters hit the ball well," Indonesian head delegate Harry Tresnadi told The Jakarta Post from Taipei.

"The boys also found it difficult to run on the wet field after the rain poured down. Our outfielders also had trouble catching ground balls."

Playing on top, Indonesia failed to score any runs in the first six innings before Yuno Dewanto, Michael Tresnadi and Lukmanul Hakim produced three runs in the seventh.

The Philippines opened the score with two runs in the first innings and another one in the second. They stretched their victory by earning two runs each in the fourth and sixth innings.

Indonesia's initial target of winning against the Philippines was considered more realistic than defeating host Taipei and two other strong contenders Japan and South Korea.

"There's no way we can beat the other three countries as they already have a professional league while the Philippines doesn't," manager Joedo Asmoro said prior to the team's departure on Sunday.

However, Harry was still optimistic that Indonesia would remain in the first division despite the fact that they would be beaten in the next two matches against Taipei on Thursday and South Korea on Friday.

"We hope to retain our place in the first division even though we'll be placed at the bottom of the list," he said.

"There are only five instead of six countries participating at the event. China refused to play in Taipei for political reasons."

Harry said he had lobbied officials of the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) to keep Indonesia in the first division.

"BAF's president Eichiro Yamamoto is very disappointed with China's absence and there is a possibility the country may be relegated to the second division," Harry said.

"But we have to wait for BFA's congress in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 2 and May 3 to get the official decision." (nvn)