AHEAD BY a game in their sixth straight finals appearance in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Baseball tournament, the Ateneo Blue Eagles went head-to-head with a tough Golden Sox side in Game 2 of the best of three finals series and reclaimed the league crown with a (14-12) win over the host school on Friday, March 24.

Resilience and tenacity from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) squad turned the match into a twelve-inning thriller, as a hard-fought deadlock forced the Ateneo squad to battle through heat and fatigue in extra innings, and climb back to the championship.

Looking to even the playing field after a pitching disaster set them back (3-0), the Golden Sox found their mark and tied the gAme at the bottom of the fourth. Designated hitter Kirk Daquis put UST on the scoreboard with a shot to leftfield that brought home Noriel Valencia, while Elijah Pagkaliwagan cleared the bases with a double, sending Valencia and Christian Dela Cruz home to knot the game at 3-3.

Despite strong showings from the other side, the Blue Eagles took the lead again half an inning later, led by cleanup hitter Ryan Hilario and Renzo Ramos. A well-placed drive by Hilario escaped to rightfield for a 1-RBI single, with Ramos following with a double to send home Marco Mallari and make it a (5-3) game. Heavy hitting from the Blue Eagles forced the switch on the mound from UST, as Dela Cruz took over for starter Ventura at the top of the fifth in an attempt to end the threat.

The Blue Eagles, however, kept the fire burning, gaining five runs of clearance despite facing UST’s ace pitcher. Ramos and Hilario capitalized on fielding errors to score off a grounder by Dan Laurel, while a hit from Marquis Alindogan sent home Laurel to bring the score to (8-3). Another single from Ramos at the top of the sixth gave Javi Macasaet the green light for Ateneo, putting the Blue Eagles in the clear at (9-3).

The succeeding two innings marked the symptoms of a slow comeback by the Golden Sox, with UST leading an offensive charge to terrorize the Ateneo defense and eventually bring back the tie. The bottom of the sixth saw the Blue Eagles’ first pitcher change as Miggy Angeles came in to retire Miguel Dumlao, who ended his career with two strikeouts in five innings. A double by Pagkaliwagan then sparked the flame and gave the Golden Sox hope against the rookie pitcher, putting runners on second and third, while hits from Max Mercado and Marlon Gonzales combined forces to bring both runners home and inch the gap closer to (9-5).

The game hit a standstill at the top of the seventh, with substitute Lester Perez opening the floodgates with the first run in a four-run rally. Daquis then followed up with a ground-rule double to put Dela Cruz on third, and a wild pitch subsequently allowed the runner to make it home and bring the score to (9-7). With the Golden Sox hot on their trail, Head Coach Randy Dizer relieved Angeles for ace pitcher Paulo Macasaet, but errors from behind the plate proved to be the team’s downfall as Daquis and Calbang managed to steal home and lock the game again at (9-9).

Gino Tantuico, however, would play the role of savior, lending the first of several crucial heroics at the top of the eighth. Two runners on base provided the golden opportunity for the first baseman, which he converted on the board for an (11-9) scoreline, sending a long fly to leftfield to bring home Hilario and Mallari. Refusing to back down, UST retaliated half an inning later, with Benedict Pedracio carrying the hopes of the team on his shoulders. A 1-RBI triple by the shortstop made it a one-point game, and a single by Valencia eventually sent Pedracio home to lift the team into extra innings with the score at (11-11).

The Golden Sox put the audience on the edge of their seats after managing to load the bases at the bottom of the tenth, but the inability to convert paved the way for a battle from the mound in the game’s dying moments. The eleventh inning saw Macasaet and Dela Cruz tally three straight kills each at the plate, with both pitchers racking up eight strikeouts to hold each other’s teams at bay and set up a do-or-die in the twelfth.

Under surmounting pressure at the top of the twelfth, Tantuico played the hero and put the stadium on its feet, shattering UST’s hopes with a hot grounder past third that sent home Mallari and Javi Macasaet to give Ateneo the lead. With the crowd behind the Blue Eagles, rookie Kiko Andaya sealed the deal with a single, bringing home Tantuico to make it a (14-11).

The Golden Sox put up their last stand at the bottom of the twelfth, with Gonzales and Pedracio combining to score a run to come within striking distance at (14-12). A stellar performance from Paulo Macasaet, however, proved too much for the battered UST side, and a force out from the pitcher then gave the Blue Eagles the final out of the season, putting Ateneo back on the throne of the baseball tournament.

Dan Laurel was named the Season’s Rookie of the Year, while Paolo Macasaet took the Finals MVP award for his heroics in the ending moments of the game.

https://storify.com/TheGUIDONSports/uaap-s79-baseball-vs-ust