A REMATCH of last year’s finals showdown between the Blue Eagles and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers ended on a similar note, with Ateneo prevailing 9-6 at the conclusion of the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Baseball tournament on Sunday, February 18, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila.
After earning a one-run advantage to end the first inning, Ateneo continually suppressed UST’s offense from the plate, never relinquishing their lead at any point in the match. Having pitched the entire match in their previous bout against De La Salle University (DLSU), ace pitcher Paulo Macasaet lent his starting spot to Miggy Angeles, who held down the fort and kept the Growling Tigers in check throughout the game.
The first three innings made it seem as though Ateneo would run away with another mercy-rule victory, but a gutsy UST side eventually found their rhythm and led a late attempt to rally back.
Designated hitter Ryan Hilario opened the floodgates early in the first, slamming one deep into left field, which comfortably scored Marco Mallari and put Ateneo up one run. From the mound, Angeles’ tricky combinations of offspeeds frustrated UST’s batters and granted easy receptions for the Blue Eagles’ defense.
Ateneo upped the tempo again in the third inning to widen the gap. Following a number of walks, successive hits from Javi Macasaet and Dino Altomonte loaded the bases, which set the stage for Marquis Alindogan to land a crucial 2-RBI single. A grounder from Dan Laurel then led two more runners to place Ateneo up 5-0 in the ball game.
UST responded by capitalizing on Ateneo’s mistakes. A passed ball and an error at left field gave the Growling Tigers new hope, with an eventual single reeling in their first point. Another Ateneo error in the fifth inning allowed Gio Martinez’ fly to right center to bring in two more runners to make it 5-3 on the board.
However, the Blue Eagles were determined not to let the lead switch hands. A balk from UST’s pitcher scored an effortless run for the Blue Eagles via illegal motion on the mound, and a deep shot into right center from Alindogan gave Ateneo four more runs for safety heading into the final two innings.
Down 9-4 at the top of the ninth, UST needed at least five more runs to save the game, but fell short of the comeback. Despite managing to haul in two more runs, the Growling Tigers were ultimately put down by a strikeout from relief pitcher Nacho Lozano to seal the game for Ateneo.
The Blue and White now sit atop the UAAP standings beside rivals DLSU, with both teams retaining a 4-1 win-loss standing as the first round comes to a close.
