Nicole Hammoude continued her stellar form from the previous day, powering the Philippine Blu Girls to a dominant 12-0 victory over Hong Kong on the final day of the opening round of the 2025 Women’s Softball Asia Cup, held Saturday at the Xi’an Physical Education University Softball Stadium in China.
After notching two hits in the Blu Girls’ narrow loss to Chinese Taipei, Hammoude stepped up once again—this time delivering a perfect three-for-three performance at the plate. She scored twice and tallied two RBIs, leading a resurgent Philippine squad to a much-needed win as they gear up for Sunday’s bronze medal match.
The Philippines will face Chinese Taipei once more, eyeing redemption against a team that has denied them a podium finish in the last two editions of the tournament (2019 and 2023).
During the elimination round, the Blu Girls fell short in a tight 0-3 loss to the Taiwanese.
Saturday’s match against Hong Kong served as a crucial momentum builder.
The Blu Girls broke the game open early, scoring four runs in the second inning and six more in the third, showcasing their offensive depth and readiness for the challenges ahead—whether against Chinese Taipei or host nation China in the battle for third place.
With a 2-0 lead after the first inning, Ma. Victoria Magbanua sparked the rally with a double to right-center, moving Charlotte Sales to third and setting the stage for Hammoude.
The LA Tech alum delivered a perfectly placed hit to center field, scoring both runners and extending the lead to 4-0.
The offensive onslaught continued as Roma Jane Cruz and Sky Ellazar added two more runs in the second frame, with Hammoude and Angelu Gabriel crossing home plate.
In the third inning, the Blu Girls erupted once again, scoring six runs to seal the mercy-rule victory.
Mylia Perez dazzled with aggressive baserunning, stealing two bases before scoring.
Sales added a run on a sacrifice fly, while hits from Gabriel, Sydney Vitangcol, and Alaiza Talisik capped off the blowout and secured the final score.
With momentum on their side, the Blu Girls now turn their focus to the bronze medal match, determined to finally break through and claim a long-awaited podium finish.
