GOING HEAD to head with the Golden Sox of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) on the last mile of the road to redemption in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Baseball tournament, the Blue Eagles gained the upper hand in the race for the crown, dominating the host school in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series at (9-2). Heavy hitting from Ateneo served as the key ingredient in a crucial sixth inning, while inconsistency from the mound proved to be a recipe for disaster for UST, as the Blue Eagles edged one win closer to the title on Tuesday, March 21 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The Blue Eagles drew first blood in the match, taking an early lead at the top of the second inning, courtesy of heroics from the middle third of the Ateneo batting order. A walk on cleanup hitter Ryan Hilario from UST starting pitcher Ian Llave put a runner on base, with captain Renzo Ramos placing a bunt to advance Hilario to second. An illegal motion on the mound from Llave gave Hilario a ticket to third, putting Ateneo in a vital position to get on the scoreboard and take the first lead change of the game. Gino Tantuico finally capitalized on the opportunity, knocking a sacrifice fly to centerfield, which gave Hilario the green light to slide home and punch in the first run of the game at (1-0).
A similar predicament ensued just half an inning later at the top of the third, as the Golden Sox pulled back a run to restore the tie. Max Mercado was hit by pitch to land on base and managed to advance to second off a groundout from teammate Jayrome Kimilat. UST leadoff Noriel Valencia then claimed responsibility for the tying run, hitting a high pop-up that escaped the glove of Dan Laurel to send Mercado home for the score and lock the game at (1-1).
The deadlock, however, would be short lived, as the Blue Eagles went on to pull away and earn a valuable three-run advantage by the end of the third inning despite a shortage of actual runs-batted-in. Consecutive singles by Dino Altomonte and Radito Banzon gave the two batters safety on base, while a walk on Marco Mallari loaded the bases and indicated the early symptoms of a catastrophe on the mound. Sending his team into dangerous waters, Llave then tallied three more consecutive balls-on-base and walked Javi Macasaet, Hilario, and Ramos to grant Ateneo an easy three runs to put the Blue Eagles up (4-1).
Seeking to get his team in the clear, UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago relieved Llave of pitcher duties and sent Jackson Acuña into the fray to take over on the mound. The substitute succeeding in leading an exodus from the scoring situation, taking down Tantuico on a flyout and Laurel with a kill at the plate to stop the bleeding and end the third inning.
The succeeding innings saw the Golden Sox struggle to regain their composure, as the team opened fire at bat to punish the Blue Eagles with a few scares from the plate. UST came close to cutting down the three-run deficit at the top of the fifth, bannered by a rally fueled by Mercado and Kimilat that nearly saw the team overturn the score gap. A powerful double from Kimilat put two UST runners on second and third to send Ateneo the first offensive threat of the match, as the Golden Sox returned to the top of their batting order. Calm defense, however, on the part of J.Macasaet and Laurel saved the scoreline, with the infielders staying composed to hold both runners and render the opponent scoreless.
An identical offensive episode occurred just an inning after, as UST led another attack in an attempt to close the scoreline at the top of the sixth. First baseman Kirk Peralta connected for a solid ground-rule double that bounced over the leftfield wall, that granted the Golden Sox another opportunity to come within striking distance and change the tide with runners on second and third. Poor decision-making, however, reduced the threat on base, as miscommunication off a grounder from Christian Dela Cruz sent Peralta running from second despite his teammate Vergara still standing safely ahead of him on third base. Ateneo infielder Marquis Alindogan took advantage of the situation, fielding the grounder perfectly and tagging out one of two runners trapped on third base for the second away of the inning.
Starting pitcher Paulo Macasaet and Altomonte then took down Vergara for the third out, with the duo recovering swiftly from a mishap behind the plate to prevent the score. A wild pitch from P.Macasaet left home base unprotected to send Vergara in for the steal and the run, but a quick relay from pitcher to catcher managed to beat the runner’s slide, quelling the Golden Sox’ last major offensive threat of the game to protect Ateneo’s lead.
The bottom of the sixth proved to be the gamechanger for the Blue Eagles, as the squad managed to silence UST with a four-run rally caused largely by walks from Acuña. With the bases loaded by Tantuico, Laurel, and Altomonte, left-fielder Banzon lit the flame and widened the gap, clearing the bases with a huge base hit into left-field for a 2-RBI double that put Ateneo up (6-1). Javi Macasaet followed suit, notching a hard-hit grounder that trickled past second base and into the outfield, sending Altomonte and Banzon home to make it an (8-1) game.
The Golden Sox scored their last run of the game at the top of the seventh, supported primarily by strong showings at the plate from substitute Elijah Pagkaliwanag. A second hit of three at-bats from infielder Kimilat gave UST a sign of life, placing runners on first and second in a last ditch attempt to save the game. Pagkaliwanag made contact for a shallow pop-up, but an error between Laurel and his outfielders resulted in a drop, which allowed Mercado to round the bases and make it an (8-2) game. The Macasaet brothers then closed the inning, with Paulo Macasaet collecting his fourth strikeout off Amiel Lallana for the second away and Javi Macasaet fielding a grounder from Vergara perfectly to grab the third out at the top of the seventh.
Ateneo head coach Randy Dizer displayed the depth of the Blue Eagles bench in the dying moments of the match, sending in his rookie substitutes to end the game. Centerfielder Enrico Untalan made an instant impact nabbing a single into centerfield, while Miguel Habana looked equally deadly at the plate with a double at the bottom of the eighth inning. Designated hitter Hilario made the most of two runners on base, nailing a hot shot to second for a 1-RBI single that sent Untalan sliding home for the team’s final run at (9-2).
Trailing by seven runs at the bottom of the ninth, the Golden Sox made their final stand in the last inning and managed to get two runners on base in an attempt to save the march. However, facing a confident Blue Eagle side, UST were ultimately taken down as relief pitcher Miggy Angeles closed the game with a three-strikeout performance, putting the Blue Eagles one step closer to reclaiming the trophy that evaded them last year.
Game 2 of the UAAP Baseball Finals will be played on Friday, March 24 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Blue Eagles pummel Golden Sox to take Game 1 of baseball finals series, 9-2
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