BUILDING ON their impressive opening game, the Ateneo Blue Eagles blazed through the National University (NU) Bulldogs for their second consecutive mercy-rule victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Baseball tournament on Wednesday, February 7, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila.
Despite the absence of Team Captain Marquis Alindogan, the Blue Batters were led by strong showings from veterans Radito Banzon and Paulo Macasaet and took care of business with stellar hitting and pitching. The Ateneo leadoff went 4/5 at the plate, while Macasaet tallied seven strikeouts and let in zero hits in his second start.
The lineup saw the Ateneo display versatility, with regular third baseman Javi Macasaet taking shortstop, Gio Salvatierra moving from first to third base, and Kiko Andaya taking over Alindogan’s usual spot at second.
Four different pitchers took the mound, highlighted by the debut of Nico Lozano, who relieved his older brother Nacho Lozano to make his collegiate debut for the Blue Eagles. Miggy Angeles also made his first appearance this season, closing the game and nabbing a strikeout of his own.
Ateneo wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard first. Banzon opened the game with a massive triple to right-center, while Marco Mallari followed up with a single that brought the leadoff home for the opening run. Subsequent hits from Kiko Andaya and Enzo Orbeta with the bases loaded delivered a second and third run to give Ateneo a 3-0 advantage.
The game then slowed down for both teams, as skillful pitching got the best of the two sides. The Blue Eagles and the Bulldogs held each other scoreless until the fifth inning, where Ateneo began to impose their will and pull the match away.
The duo of Banzon and Mallari again kick-started the Ateneo barrage with consecutive hits. Javi Macasaet’s flyball set up Hilario, who silenced the opposition’s defense with a two-RBI single, while Dino Altomonte iced the side after connecting for a solid double that brought home the designated hitter for a 7-0 lead. Paulo Macasaet was ceaseless in punishing the Bulldogs’ batters, nailing two strikeouts in a total of three batters to end the fifth inning.
A single from Mallari garnered another run for Ateneo at the top of the sixth, which was followed by a silent seventh inning from both squads, giving Ateneo the chance to impose mercy rule with a 9-0 advantage heading into the eighth.
Substitute left-fielder Enrico Untalan slammed a huge double into leftfield, with another hit from Banzon securing the necessary tenth run. Pinch hitter Dan Laurel put the icing on the cake with a single to right field, which gave the Blue Eagles the commanding 11-0 advantage.
Looking to seal the game via mercy rule, Miggy Angeles displayed his magic on the mound in his first game this season to hold NU at bay, and a catch at right field tallied a final third away to give the Blue Eagles their second win.
The Blue Batters will next face the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons on Sunday, February 11, looking to enhance their 2-0 season start.
