THE SEMIS-BOUND Ateneo Baseball Team (ABT) bowed to the playoff-seeking University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in a late-night Battle of Katipunan slugfest, 12-15. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86’s second-round finale was held last night at the UP Diliman Baseball Field in Quezon City.
With their amazing single-season turnaround a year removed from a 2-8 last-placed finish, the Ateneo Blue Eagles captured a Final Four berth with a 5-5 record and the third seed despite the loss.
Already having qualified for the postseason after a University of Santo Tomas loss earlier in the slate, Ateneo started on the wrong foot after absorbing two strikeouts at the top of the first inning. After the Fighting Maroons retired the side, the Blue Eagle defense tried to buckle down but failed to prevent a VJ Mangahas liner to left field, scoring two runs batted in (RBI), 0-2. As the bottom of the first heated up, UP piled on the hits for a 4-0 lead, but Ateneo’s Joshua De Juras prevented further damage after securing a strikeout to close the frame.
The second inning saw the Blue and White attempt to play catchup, however, can-of-corn hits by Ateneo kept them scoreless in the top half. Meanwhile, the bottom of the second saw De Juras earn another strikeout to highlight his outing so far, keeping the Fighting Maroons from scoring more runs.
Facing a 0-4 hole, the Loyola Heights-based squad finally ended their dry spell in the third inning with Javi Limpo’s line-drive to put Ateneo on the scoring column, 1-4.
Thereafter, the ABT kept chipping away against a shaky UP side, as Dax Fabella made contact for a grounder to right field, scoring Matt San Juan and Limpo who capitalized on fortuitous errors from the outfielder, 3-4.
However, the bottom of the third saw another UP hit that momentarily stalled the Blue Eagle surge, 3-5. In an attempt to keep the game close, the Ateneo defense would limit the damage to just one run.
In an explosive fourth inning for the Blue and White, San Juan continued to play the role of UP’s tormentor, securing a bases-clearing triple to overtake the Fighting Maroons, 6-5. However, the UP batters quickly retook the lead with three crucial runs to send the Blue Eagles back into a 6-8 hole.
Entering the fifth inning, the Loyola Heights-based ballplayers failed to elude the Fighting Maroons’ exquisite defense, retiring the top of the inning without a run in sight. Given this, Ateneo Pitcher Kyle Bautista struck out the bottom half with only one RBI to keep the battle within reach, 6-9.
However, in the sixth inning, gallant displays at-bat sent Ateneo back into the fray with power slugger Fabella blasting a resounding deep liner toward the warning track, 7-9.
Following suit, the ever-reliable San Juan dispatched a grounder to send Joaquin Mendoza home, 8-9. However, with persistent miscues from the Atenean defense, the Fighting Maroons retaliated in the bottom half with two more runs and a three-run lead, 11-8.
Not letting up in the seventh inning, the unwavering Blue Eagles put up electrifying swings, picking up consecutive RBI hits from Montemayor and Yuan Dela Rosa to turn the tides, 12-11.
However, the UP batters stemmed the Blue Eagles’ momentum in the remaining innings, putting astute fieldwork against the side. After staving off the Ateneans in the top of the eighth, Nano Asuncion delivered a harrowing swing to snag a pair of runs for the Fighting Maroons in the bottom of the eighth, 14-12. In an effort to solidify their lead, the Diliman-based unit seized one more run against pitcher Manuel Senador, 15-12.
For the final inning, the Atenean studs aimed to close the top of the ninth with a miracle comeback from the side. However, with two flyouts in the frame, the Fighting Maroon pitcher finally closed the fiery bout with a K, nailing the coffin on the ABT with a 15-12 defeat.
Regardless of the outcome, Ateneo is set to meet the two-seeded National University Bulldogs in a semifinal clash, with the Blue Eagles facing a twice-to-win disadvantage. The schedule for the high-stakes bout is yet to be determined as of writing.
Innings scores:
Ateneo (12): 0 0 3 3 0 2 4 0 0 – 12
UP (15): 4 0 1 3 1 2 0 4 x – 15
Current Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Green Batters (7-3)
- NU Bulldogs (7-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-5)
- UP Fighting Maroons (4-6)
- UST Golden Sox (4-6)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (3-7)
