THE ATENEO Blue Eagles collapsed in the final two innings, as they suffered their first University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Baseball Tournament defeat at the hands of Adamson University, 6-9, on Wednesday, February 27, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Ace pitcher and Team Captain Paulo Macasaet was one bright spot for the men in Blue. He allowed just two earned runs in seven innings of play, along with 11 strikeouts. Center fielder Marco Mallari paced the Blue Eagles in runs batted in with three.
Ateneo’s fielding in the first inning was faulty—perhaps an indication of things to come in the later innings. After center fielder Edwin Bosito drew a walk from P. Macasaet, the Blue Eagles allowed Bosito two stolen bases. A passed ball then allowed him home to draw first blood.
In the second inning, Blue Eagle Kiko Andaya got Ateneo on the board through a sacrifice fly to bring home designated hitter Gio Salvatierra. Both starting pitchers pitched effectively in the middle innings, as no team scored from the third to the fifth.
The offensive struggles stopped for Ateneo in the sixth inning as they came alive and rocked Adamson. Co-captain Radito Banzon started the scoring with a single that brought home Miguel Habana. After Andaya drew a walk to load the bases, Mallari delivered what was thought to be the knockout blow, a double that scored three runs. The sixth inning ended with Ateneo holding a 6-1 lead.
From the eighth inning on, however, it was all Adamson. Ateneo’s combination of shaky pitching and complacent fielding gave the Falcons the confidence they needed to slowly chip in to the lead. They scored three runs in the eighth, and finally took the lead in the ninth, where they scored five game-clinching runs, after a Lexter Carandang single.
This loss leaves Ateneo with a 3-1 record; they are level with Adamson University for first place. The Blue Eagles will have their chance to get back winning ways against National University on Sunday, March 3, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
