Filipina batter eyes homer

Shifting from softball to health field

MANILA, Philippines — With the final year of her stellar collegiate career gobbled up by COVID-19, US-based Filipina batter Isabella “Isa” Carunungan still wants to make a difference as she eyes a shift from softball to health field.

“While Isa excelled in softball, she is not defined by it. She will be a great contributor to our society and will follow the footsteps of her grandfather, and one day will also be known as Dr. Carunungan,” said Isa’s dad Israel, a former The STAR sportswriter.

Carunungan was going great guns heading to her senior year as a Notre Dame of Maryland Gator when the coronavirus disease sent not just the NCAA softball but practically the whole sports world to a complete stop.

The NDMU Gators team captain saw her senior year of playing eligibility vanish in the air as the Colonial States Athletic Conference decided to suspend all athletic activities for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester.

With her journey as an athlete over, Carunungan looks forward to finishing her psychology course, then attend graduate school to pursue a career in mental health field.

With the cancellation of the spring season, the NDMU Athletics now runs a series of tributes to the school’s senior student-athletes, bringing their accomplishments to light. Featured very first on the spotlight was Carunungan on March 20.

A two-year softball captain, Carunungan had an impressive career, being a three-year starter for the Gators, starting in 72 games. She was a dominant force for the Gators offense, while leading the outfield in centerfield, and seeing some time pitching.

In her three years as a Gator, Carunungan maintained an impressive .605 slugging percentage, a career batting average of .430, with a total of 96 career hits.

Embellishing her career were several Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) honors, including CSAC All-Academic. In 2017 and 2018, she was named to the CSAC Honorable Mention Team and last season, was named Second Team All-CSAC.

Carunungan is leaving her mark in the NDMU record books, ranging across 25 different categories, such as hitting, and pitching. Most impressively, she holds the 2017 record for single-season batting average at .494. She also holds second place in career record for batting average, at .430.

Off the field, Carunungan has led a busy life. She is a part of the NDMU concert choir, music ministry, and recently received the departmental award for the music department.