THE ATENEO Men’s Baseball Team succumbed to defending champion De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Batters, 3-9, to open their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 campaign. The match was held earlier today at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Baseball Field in Quezon City.

From the first inning, Lorenzo Montemayor proved to be a pivotal piece for the Blue and White. The Blue Eagle managed to reach second and third base off errors by DLSU, opening the scoring with Montemayor stealing home plate, 1-0.

In a similar fashion, Joaquin Casanova managed to steal second and third base at the top of the third inning, due to errors on the side of DLSU’s catcher. Eventually, Montemayor managed to send Casanova home with a run-batted-in (RBI) groundout, putting Ateneo up 2-0.

However, DLSU answered in the bottom of the fourth with a hit to center field, putting them on the board, 1-2.

Gaining momentum from their previous inning and with bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, the Green Batters seized the opportunity to score two runs, soaring to a 3-2 lead.

Piling on the pressure, miscues on the side of Ateneo allowed DLSU to cop another run, 4-2. However, with Manuel Senador checking in to pitch for the Blue Eagles, the Katipunan-based squad finally put a stop to the Green Batters’ onslaught.

From thereon, DLSU never looked back, capitalizing on Ateneo’s pitching errors to take a 7-2 advantage after the seventh inning.

In an attempt to salvage the match, the Blue Eagles notched a run at the top of the eighth courtesy off a Matthew San Juan grounder, 3-7.

However, the Green Batters were quick to retaliate with two runs of their own as the match ended at 9-3.

The Blue Eagles will look to bounce back as they take on the NU Bulldogs on Thursday, February 29, at 11:00 AM at the same venue.