AS THE final inning ended on the grassy fields of Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium on March 16, so did the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 campaign of the Ateneo Softball Team (1-11) as they took a 1-5 loss against nearby rivals, the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons.

The Lady Eagles kept the first two innings tight, limiting UP’s offense to only two runs although struggling to get on the scoreboard themselves to put the score at 0-2 heading into the third inning. UP’s Panjie Legazpi made it home to extend the Lady Maroons’ lead to 0-3, with the scoreboard reading 0-4 before Ateneo took the helm again on offense.

The top of the fourth saw Ateneo’s defense clamp down on UP in a quick defensive outing. Alisha Vergara made a tough grab in right-field off a hit from UP’s Algrace Adajar, and seniors Nikola Lacson and Africa connected on a daring double play, with outs on first and second base after a shot from UP’s Erika Olfato.

Momentum kept going as Ateneo returned to bat at the bottom of the fourth, with Vergara starting the action with a long grounder out to center. Rookie batter Cheska Nepomuceno came through on the next play, crushing a powerful slam to centerfield to bring Vergara home for Ateneo’s sole point of the day.

UP struck again in the fifth inning with Legazpi reaching home again for the Lady Maroons following a tough hit from UP’s Nitchie Rabe to run the score up to 1-5. Ateneo looked to respond in the bottom of the fifth, with Africa managing a double off a terrific shot to right-field. However, UP stood its ground defensively, snagging flyouts from Dela Cruz and Gabby Macatulad, and recording a first base out after a short bunt from Nikola Lacson.

The stalemate continued into the sixth and seventh innings, with both teams standing tall on defense and engaging on offense. Ateneo quickly returned to bat at the top of the sixth after key outs from Team Captain Macatulad and catcher Jill San Juan.

San Juan carried her good play into the bottom of the sixth, coming up with a solid grounder to left-field to garner a double. UP responded with a tough double play, tagging San Juan and Mia Laurel out after the latter’s shot to second base. A short hit on the next play from Vergara resulted in a first base out to end the inning.

Ateneo continued their gutsy performance until the last inning. Pitcher Kevyn Lacson hauled in a shot from UP’s Chise Diolata to get the first out at the top of the seventh, and Nikola Lacson teamed up with Laurel for an out on second base. Therese Macasaet notched the last out with a clutch catch off a shot from UP’s Jhoy Bernabe, putting Ateneo at bat for the final time.

UP proceeded to close the game out quickly. Back-to-back flyouts from Macasaet and Kat Santos gave the Lady Eagles two outs, and rookie Kirsten Cuenco struck out to end the game, and ultimately, the season.

As the match concluded, the Lady Eagles bid farewell to four graduating Ateneo veterans, namely Noelle Dela Cruz, Yla Trinidad, Angel Africa, and Nikola Lacson.

Coach Joy Lasquite was proud of how her team fought despite the loss, saying it was an embodiment of the team’s mantra of always giving their best. “Today’s game was really good. We saw the girls fighting until the last inning,” she said.

Despite collecting only one win in the entire tournament, Lasquite continued to see positive things in the development of the team. “We did prepare [for the second round], but we were unlucky that the errors were always there. We did not stop them, [so our opponents kept scoring],” she said. “But it’s okay. We already learned a lot for next year.”

With four UAAP careers on her team coming to an end, Lasquite has a message for the four graduating seniors: “To the graduating seniors, thank you for the experience. I wish you luck in your life and your future.”

As the season comes to an end for the Lady Eagles, the team’s hope now rests in the young rookies and veterans of the team to continue to build on this year’s progress, and begin a winning culture for Ateneo Softball next season.