In their second to the last game for the first round of UAAP Baseball Season 74, Ateneo remained undefeated. Outplaying last season’s champions, UST, the nine-inning-long scrimmage ended at 8-1, in favor of the blue and white.

The Ateneo powerhouse battled against the Tigers bright and early on January 22 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. Ateneo is now number one in the collegiate baseball ranks, brandishing four wins and no losses.

Rookie Paco Tantuico was on the mound until the fifth inning. Tantuico was relieved by Adriane Bernardo at the bottom of sixth until the end of the game.

Batters Adriane Bernardo, Matt Laurel, and Andy Tan each scored runs in the second, third and fifth innings.

Defending champs UST scored a lone run in the sixth inning. This would be their only run for the entire game.

Ateneo’s “big inning” did not occur until the ninth inning. During the top of the ninth, they were able to score five runs courtesy of Batters Johnny Altomonte, Adriane Bernardo, Charles Catangui, Matt Laurel and co-captain Bocc Bernardo. This gave Ateneo a seven point advantage.

“We tried to treat it as a normal game. We just tried to win every inning like our last three games—we just stuck to that plan,” says Captain Matt Reyes about their victory against the defending champions.

The Batters will be facing La Salle at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. This will be their last game for round one of the UAAP Baseball Season 74.