AFTER FALLING to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Batters twice in the eliminations round of the 76th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Blue Batters proved their doubters wrong and swept DLSU in this season’s best-of-three championship round. This is the first time that the Blue Batters have successfully swept the championship round, forcing third games in the past two years.

Game One

Throughout the entire season, Ateneo found itself trailing its opponents as a result of slow starts. Throughout the two elimination games that the Blue Batters played against DLSU, Ateneo never managed to gain the upper hand on the scoreboard.

On February 14, the Blue Batters faced DLSU for the first game of the best-of-three championship series. After the third inning of game one, the Blue Batters found themselves in a similar situation, as three quick runs by DLSU in the bottom of the second and defensive errors from Blue Batters made the score 3-1 in favor of the Green Batters.

After realizing that the stakes had become much higher, the Blue Batters played arguably their best inning of the year, launching a two-out six run rally in the top of the fourth. Veterans Adriane Bernardo and Dio Remollo led the attack by firing back-to-back hits, a one runs-batted-in (RBI) double and a two RBI single, to propel the Ateneo to the lead, 4-3, at the top of the fourth.

Following these two hits, the Blue Batters further extended their lead by connecting on two DLSU errors, making the score 6-3.  With DLSU rattled, the Ateneo did not hesitate to step harder on the gas pedal as Miggy Santos sent another runner home to cap off the Blue Batter’s dramatic two-out six-point rally and make the score 7-3 at the bottom of the fourth.

Senior Matt Laurel scored another run as a result of a fielder’s choice at the top of the sixth, but the Green Batters were not ready to give the game away. After tightening their defense, they showed everyone the fire and power that allowed them to finish atop the team standings just a few days prior by launching a late-game comeback that kept the Ateneo gallery on the edge of its seats.

Behind the three runs of Green Batter Sebastian Uichico, DLSU was able to tie the ball game come the end of the eighth inning. Two runs in the bottom of the seventh and another three in the eighth, all resulting from big-time hits, ignited not only the dampened spirits of the DLSU dugout but also of the DLSU crowd as the game was set to enter the final inning of regular play.

With the score tied at 8-8 and the game on the line, Bernardo took over pitching duties from an exhausted Andy Tan. The Blue and White starting pitcher, Tan had pitched for a total of eight innings, striking out six and walking only four.

The renewed energy of the Ateneo on the mound proved to be the key, as it kept DLSU scoreless for the remainder of the game. Dio Remollo led the way for the Ateneo offense, recording a total of 2 RBIs.

The two hits of Bernardo and Team Captain Kevin Ramos at the top of the tenth inning sealed the deal for the Ateneo. DLSU failed to respond to the final surge of the Blue Batters, unable to get runners on base in the last inning.

Ending the game with a score of 10-8, the Blue Batters were one game away from successfully defending their title.

Championship Day

Coming off a high from finally defeating DLSU in their February 14 match, the Ateneo was determined to finish Season 76 with the championship trophy back in their arms on February 17.

Rookie Miguel Dumlao led the team as starting pitcher, giving DLSU a quick top of the first. In the bottom of the first, the Ateneo scored a lone run through Ramos, who hit a 1 RBI single that sent Laurel home, putting the Ateneo on board.

In the bottom of the second inning, a one RBI double by Team Captain Pelos Remollo gave the batters a two-run lead. Another run from Dio Remollo in the bottom of the third pushed the Ateneo’s lead 3-0.

By the bottom of the fourth inning, DLSU remained scoreless and the Blue and White lead the game with a three-run advantage. In the same inning, the Ateneo offense exploded, scoring four runs via Blue Batter Iñigo Untalan, Adriane Bernardo, Dio Remollo and Laurel.

At this point, the Ateneo had already pulled away from the DLSU with a whopping seven-run lead. The Ateneo extended their lead further in the bottom of the sixth with a run from Bernardo.

In the top of the seventh, DLSU’s dry spell was put to an end by Green Batter Carlos Muñoz, who hit a single homer. DLSU Batters Fernando Imperial and Edward Flores also added two more runs for DLSU. The Ateneo defense proved to be too strong for DLSU, as these were the only three runs that DLSU scored in the match.

It was in the same inning that rookie Dumlao was finally retired from the mound, after pitching for a total of six innings. Dumlao was replaced by batchmate Nacho Cojuangco. In the top of the ninth, Tan was sent in to replace Cojuangco.

As the final out was called by the umpires, a victorious Ateneo bench ran to the field, celebrating their successful title defense with an 8-3 triumph against DLSU.

The Ateneo also dominated in the individual awards, claiming a total of six. Seasoned veteran Laurel raked in three titles, namely Best Slugger, Most Number of Home Runs and Most Number of Stolen Bases, which he shared with Alfredo Olivarez of National University, Sebastian Uichico of DLSU and Muñoz of DLSU. Tan capped off his fourth playing year with the Best Pitcher and Most Valuable Player titles. Powerhouse pitcher Dumlao was also recognized as UAAP Season 76’s Rookie of the Year because of his role in leading the team to their second consecutive championship title.

Photo by Aleandra L. Huang

Team Efforts

Ateneo Baseball Program Head Coach Randy Dizer shares, “The win in game one was key.” He explains that because the Ateneo suffered two losses against DLSU in the elimination round, their victory served as a confidence booster in their road to their title defense. Dizer adds that on the day of game one, he reminded the Blue Batters to use their championship experience to their advantage and fight to the very end.

The fact that this year’s finals round was a bout between seasoned rivals cannot be overlooked either. “The pressure was there because of course it’s still Ateneo-DLSU,” says Tan. Apart from the rivalry aspect, the DLSU Green Batters are also known for having good pitching rotation.

Despite the individuals who stood out and were recognized for their performance throughout the season, Dizer attributes the team’s glorious victory to team effort. “We got [the championship] because everybody delivered; everybody contributed.”

Team Captain Remollo adds, “[The championship] was really a team effort, but I guess what stood out this year was our pitching. We lost our ace, Miguel [Salud], but our rookies Nacho [Conjuangco] and Miguel [Dumlao] really stepped up their game. Of course, Andy [Tan] delivered so well this season, too.”

From a team that used to conclude their UAAP season with lone victories, the Ateneo Blue Batters have finally secured their place at the top. With a second victory, the team wants nothing more than to continue the tradition of bringing glory to the Blue and White in the years ahead.