THEY FOUGHT until the very last at-bat, but ultimately, the Ateneo Lady Eagles came up short against the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, with a final score of 1-2 on Monday, February 1, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Malate, Manila.

Shortstop Dyan Arago gave the Lady Bulldogs their first run of the game at the top of the first inning, coming off rookie Aimee Watson’s looping line drive into left field. However, NU was unable to capitalize on their momentum, stranding two runners on base.

The Lady Eagles were eventually able to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning. Right fielder Kat Villareal set the tone as the leadoff hitter, showing her plate discipline as she drew a walk. Catcher Chesca Imperial then made a well-placed sacrifice bunt, advancing Villareal to second base. With NU’s Shaira Damasing misfielding left fielder Bea Parma’s ground ball–allowing Villareal to move to third base–the Ateneo was able to get its runners at the corners. Parma would also put additional pressure on the NU defense when she used her speed to steal second base, giving the Katipunan-based squad two runners in scoring position.

Sensing an opportunity to score, the Ateneo sent on pinch runner Noelle Dela Cruz in place of Villareal. The substitution worked, as designated player Cheskie Tantoco delivered at the plate with an infield single–allowing Dela Cruz to cross home.

Meanwhile, after struggling in the first inning, starting pitcher Ira Nevalga finally settled into the game; she went 1-2-3 in the second inning while giving just one hit in the third inning. Her control improved as the game went on, pitching the ball low into the strike zone to force groundouts and making the NU batters work to get the ball into the air.

However, the Lady Bulldogs retook the lead at the top of the fifth inning, when second baseman Carla Payapaya took advantage of an Ateneo fielding error–stretching her single into a double. In scoring position, first baseman Kristine Acuna hit one right down the middle for a base hit, helping Payapaya score.

The Ateneo defense worked hard to prevent NU from scoring again. Nevalga gave up two more hits to Watson and catcher Colleen Alilin, with both eventually getting into scoring position at third and second base, respectively, with two outs. However, Nevalga got out of the jam when left fielder Nicole Ordoyo grounded out to third base, ending the top of the sixth inning.

Both teams stranded one runner each to end the bottom of the sixth inning and the top of the seventh inning. With the game nearing its conclusion, the Ateneo needed one run to take the game into extra innings and two runs to win the game. With the game on the line, Head Coach Dione Macaso called on Clariele Dacanay to lead off the inning.

The Lady Eagle rookie, who showed off her pitching prowess in their previous game against the University of the Philippines, displayed her hitting skills this time around. After keeping her at-bat alive with foul balls, she drove the ball past the NU infield for a single. Dacanay was then replaced by her fellow rookie Nikola Lacson for base running purposes.

In between a Kaira Ventosa bunt pop out and a Nicki Borromeo infield fly out, Team Co-Captain Angela Natividad also got on base with a hit of her own, moving Lacson into scoring position. With the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run on first base, starting pitcher Nevalga stepped into the batter’s box; with two outs and the count at two strikes, Nevalga drilled the ball for a hit. However, Lacson rounded third base and was called out at home plate, ending the game.

While a loss is not an ideal result for any team, Natividad remained proud of her team for how they bounced back, both in their previous game and during today’s game with NU. “The girls were really hungry to win,” she said. “They hate losing. I hate losing. But I’m so proud of them for what they showed today. Everyone did their best.”

This loss puts the Lady Eagles at 0-2 in the elimination round standings of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Softball tournament.

Their next game will be against the University of Santo Tomas, 11:00 AM, Wednesday, February 3 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Malate.

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