Hangzhou, China - The Philippine Blu Girls lost to defending champion Japan, 2-9, at the start of the Super Round of the 19th Asian Games women’s softball held at the Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Centre-Softball Field 1 on Friday, Sept. 29.

The Filipina batters held their ground against world no. 2 Japan by scoring two runs at the top of the 2nd inning, a good rebound to the 3 runs by the Japanese in the bottom of the first.

The Philippines stayed within striking distance as both teams went for naught in the 3rd and 4th, but the Japanese flexed its might in the 5th with two runs and added four more in the sixth for an abbreviated game.

Despite the loss Philippine Blu Girls head coach Ana Santiago is satisfied with her players’ effort. “Still a good game, 2-3 until 5 innings with 7 hits. The confidence of the team is there, and for first time, Japan fielded in its best pitcher in Olympics, nakababad” Santiago said.

The Blu Girls, supported here by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, now aims to salvage the bronze, when it confronts reigning silver medalists Chinese Taipei, on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 3:15pm.