BANGKOK, Thailand — It wasn’t a shutout like in its opening match, but defending champion Philippine men’s baseball team delivered another dominating performance in a 17-3 crushing of Singapore after seven innings in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday at the Baseball Stadium, Queen Sirikit Sports Center.

Erwin Bosito scored three runs as the Filipinos set the tone for another rout after a six-run fourth inning to take a commanding 8-0 advantage.

Although the Philippines gave the Singaporeans a chance to save face with three runs in the fifth frame, the squad, which won gold in the 2019 edition but had to wait six years to defend the crown after the sport was scrapped in the last two stagings of the biennial meet, answered with six runs in the next inning.

“So far so good. The team has come prepared. We just need to stay focused and take it one game at a time,” Philippine Amateur Baseball Association secretary general and national team manager Michael Asuncion said.

The Nationals won their second in a row mercy rule decision after blanking Indonesia, 14-0, last Saturday.

Nigel Paule added another point for the Philippines in the top seventh inning after Mark John Philip Beronilla tripled to the right field.

Singapore’s second baseman made a throwing error that sent Beronilla home. A sacrifice flyout to right field by Jovan Kenneth Maulit allowed Geo Gorpido to deliver the Nationals’ final assault.

Beronilla, Mark Manaig, Jennald Pareja, Reymond Vargas had two runs each for the Filipinos, who will face Malaysia on Monday.