Batangas, Marinero eye playoff seats vs ousted rivals

MANILA, Philippines - Batangas and Marinerong Pilipino shoot for two of the last three playoff spots as they face separate ousted rivals in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig today.

The Batangueños and the Skippers seek win No. 6 against Gamboa Coffee and AMA Online Education, respectively, as they try to join qualifiers Flying V (9-0), Cignal HD (8-2) and Tanduay (7-2).

In the other match, the Rhum Masters, already assured of the third seed, hope to sustain their hot four-game run as they collide with the also-ran Racal Motors at 3 p.m.

Batangas, toting a 5-3, take on the Coffee Lovers at 5 p.m.

“We are always the underdog. Gamboa is very experienced. They have ex-pro players which was the reason why we fell to Tanduay. Hopefully, we learned our lesson and use it as a motivation to clinch a playoff seat,” said the Batangas coach Eric Gonzales, who will bank on Jessie Saitanan, Jhaps Bautista, Cedrick Ablaza and Cedric De Joya.

But they will miss top gun Joseph Sedurifa, who has been tapped by Meralco in the PBA.

Gamboa Coffee Mix, out of contention with a 1-8 slate, is also out to foil Batangas’ bid in an attempt to close out its maiden campaign on a winning note.

The Skippers, on the other hand, are heavily favored over the Titans in the 1 p.m. duel with coach Koy Banal looking for another win and a share of fifth with Centro Escolar University.