Philippine bet Bago City captures Junior League Softball World Series title

Philippine squad Bago City, which represented the Asia-Pacific region, ended the country's title drought after defeating USA of the East Region, 3-0, to capture the 2023 Junior League Softball World Series title in Washington on Sunday morning (Manila time).

With the victory, Bago City put an end to the Philippines' 20-year search for a championship in the 12-14 age division of the annual showcase. The last time the country took home the title was in 2003, when Bacolod City defeated Puerto Rico with a 2-0 triumph.

The Philippines' Bago City Little League shuts the door for a 3-0 Junior League Softball World Series Championship win! #LLWS pic.twitter.com/u50WxZNoxG

— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 5, 2023

"After countless hours of hard work and dedication, we have finally reached the pinnacle of success. It is a long-awaited victory that will be forever cherished by the entire country," Little League Philippines said in a Facebook post.

"Let's celebrate and honor this momentous accomplishment."

Pitcher Erica Arnaiz led the way as the Filipinas completed a sweep of the tournament. They finished pool play with a clean 4-0 card, defeating representatives from Florida of Southeast, Washington District 9, Canada, and Michigan of Central region.

In the quarterfinals, Bago City routed Arizona with a 4-0 victory before pulling off a similar 4-0 win against Texas in the semifinals to arrange a finals duel with Connecticut.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News