IT WAS A difficult day for the Ateneo Softball Team as they succumbed to defending champions Adamson University Lady Falcons via mercy rule, 0-10 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Softball Tournament on Saturday, February 23, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila. The Lady Falcons made quick work of the Lady Eagles, ending the match after the third inning to cap off a decisive performance.

The Lady Falcons were on point to start the game, with Krisha Cantor and Ariane Vallestero getting two quick runs off fielding errors from Ateneo. Adamson continued to hit well, ending the bottom of the first inning with a commanding 0-3 lead.

Ateneo was shut down at bat at the top of the second, with the Lady Falcons getting three outs in four batters to get back onto the plate. Continuing their excellent hitting, Lady Falcons Angelu Gabriel and Aliza Pichon tabbed two more runs to bring the lead up to five. MJ Maguad and Vallestero continued to show their offensive class, bringing the lead up to seven at the end of the second inning.

Ateneo continued to struggle at bat in the third inning while the Lady Falcons scored three deflating outs to prevent any chance of an Ateneo comeback. This sealed the win for the defending champions, pushing the Blue and White to their fourth straight loss in the UAAP Softball Tournament.

Despite the lopsided loss, Coach Joy Lasquite still saw some positives from the game, citing the team’s fighting spirit as one of the good things the team developed in this game.

“Lumalaban pa rin ‘yung mga bata. Hindi sila nawawalan ng pag-asang lumaban kahit sinasabi nating powerhouse sila, number one yung kalaban natin. We still get on base. Hindi lang nagconnect-connect yung palo natin,” she said.

(The players are still fighting. They did not lose hope to fight even though our opponent the number one team. We still get on base. Our hits just aren’t connecting with each other.)

Asked about the preparation needed for their next game against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, Coach Lasquite singled out mental preparation as a key to getting their first win.

“For preparation, what’s important is the mental [aspect]. If they really want to win, they need to put it in their mind [that] we can do it. Kaya naman eh (We can do it).”

With only two games left in the first round, Coach Lasquite wants the team to continue fighting. At the same time, the veteran coach wants them to continue improving their attitude towards the game.

The Ateneo Softball Team will next face the UE Lady Warriors on Monday, February 25, 11:00 AM, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila.