Nine nail-biting innings in a championship-atmosphere contest set the diamond ablaze in the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, as the Blue Eagles fell to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 8-11, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Baseball tournament on Sunday, March 4.
Bumped down to third seed behind Adamson and DLSU, and in need of two consecutive wins to keep their season alive, the reigning kings of the diamond relinquished their championship aspirations with the loss. Having won the crown back just last season after missing out on the gold in Season 78, the defeat marks their first absence from the UAAP finals in six years.
A hot-hitting Ateneo was quick to get on the scoreboard but could not maintain consistent production at the plate through the first five innings. They drew first blood off a huge double from Dino Altomonte to left-center, which sent home leadoff Marquis Alindogan and gave Ateneo a single run lead by the end of the first.
Two errant fielding tosses from the Blue Eagles landed a DLSU runner on third, while another error off a grounder to first allowed La Salle to punch in their first run. Kiko Gesmundo fed off the momentum with a massive two-RBI double, sending Paolo Salud and Diego Lozano home for a 1-3 lead.
The action resumed in the fourth inning for both squads, with consecutive hits from Salud and Lozano granting La Salle another run to make it a 1-4 game. Ateneo responded quickly to undo the damage, courtesy of an RBI-single from Radito Banzon at the bottom of the fourth, while clever base running from Javi Macasaet and Marco Mallari brought the score to 3-4 by the bottom of the fifth.
After a full rotation of the batting order, the duo of Macasaet and Mallari struck once more to give the Blue Eagles the lead. After nailing a grounder to send home one runner, Macasaet stole second to force a throw from catcher Paul Naguit to second base, which opened a narrow window for Mallari to give Ateneo a 6-5 lead.
La Salle tilted the seesaw affair once more and stole back the lead after capitalizing on a few errors from the Blue and White. Pineda and Lozano scored two respective RBI-singles to put La Salle on top, prompting Ateneo to sub in Miggy Angeles to relieve Paulo Macasaet on the mound. The sophomore, however, threw a walk on Lozano with the bases loaded at the top of the seventh, conceding another run.
With their season on the line, Ateneo rekindled their championship spirit to fight tooth and nail for their shot at the title. Altomonte fired up another comeback with a base-hit, Kiko Andaya added another runner with a bunt, and Gio Salvatierra advanced both runners for a second consecutive sacrifice bunt. Rookie Tres Sarmiento then stepped up to the plate and blasted a base clearing triple into right-field wall to knot things at 8-8.
In the game’s crucial moments, the Green Archers capitalized on each of Ateneo’s blunders. Salud landed another base hit to regain the DLSU lead, and Lozano exploited errors at first to find his way to home base. A bunt from Salinas forced an overthrow to first on an attempted five-three play, which scored Tantuico, to put Ateneo three runs d0wn heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Needing to overcome an 8-11 predicament, Ateneo did not have enough left in the tank to stage another comeback. Andaya drove to left field but was tagged out on a bid for second, and Salvatierra was taken down at the plate. Banzon connected at the plate, but the catch at left-field for three away ended the game.
The Blue Eagles have a chance to end their season on a high note in a rematch of last year’s finals. They take on the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers on Wednesday, March 7 for their last game of the season.
