CONTROLLING THE diamond, the Ateneo Baseball Team (ABT) defeated the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons to nab their first University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 victory, 7-5. The Katipunan clash was held earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in the City of Manila.
The Blue and White hit the ground running with perfect pitches, effectively stumping any chance of a run for the Fighting Maroons in the first two innings. With Ateneo at bat and bases loaded at the bottom of the second, Zeke Laygo delivered the game’s first points with a slick line drive to tally three RBIs, 3-0.
Commencing the third inning, Ateneo picked up right where they left off as pitcher Lucas Atendido threw off the opposition with stellar fastballs, ending the top of the third with the Diliman-based faction still scoreless. The Blue Eagles leveraged this momentum to notch yet another run, courtesy of savvy veteran Matthew San Juan who converted on a line drive to send Dax Fabella home, 4-0.
Ateneo’s groove was then halted in the fourth inning after UP scored a run at the top and two quick outs hurt the Blue Eagles at the bottom. However, a walk and a single swiftly propelled the Blue Eagles back into scoring position, which Fabella capitalized on with a well-placed grounder that stretched Ateneo’s lead to 6-1.
The Loyola Heights-based fielders continued to shine in the fifth frame, securing two groundouts in quick succession and later recording a flyout. In the bottom half, Waji Magsadia then cracked a sharp line drive to left field for a double and an RBI, 7-1.
The Blue Eagles’ battery demonstrated their defensive prowess once again in the sixth, fanning two Fighting Maroons batters in a flash. Undeterred, UP promptly matched Ateneo’s speed with a double play and a strikeout of their own.
The Fighting Maroons piled on the pressure as Ian Mercado immediately sparked a fierce comeback attempt at the top of the seventh after scoring a single. Atendido’s pitches were then challenged by Aaron Nicha, who was granted a walk to first base after four balls. From there, the Fighting Maroons successfully sustained their offensive momentum with Mercado, LM Basanes, and Nicha scoring runs to slowly minimize Ateneo’s lead to 7-4.
Before approaching the bottom of the frame, UP’s Kobe Torres swung for a double, bringing Mangahas to home base, 7-5. The seventh frame concluded with Ateneo failing to pull away and replicate UP’s rhythm.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Nicha opened the top of the eighth with heightened aggression to score a double, while Eman Javier was hit by pitch to secure first base. However, the Blue Eagles responded by locking their defense to halt Nicha’s attempts to steal third base, extinguishing UP’s chance for another fiery run, 7-5.
The final inning then saw the Blue Eagles fortifying their defense on the diamond as the Fighting Maroons emptied the tank. Despite VJ Mangahas scoring a double and Torres and Razhley Santos registering stellar swings, fielders Laygo and Joshua De Juras kept them at bay with crucial catches.
While pitcher Atendido was being challenged until the very end, Ateneo boasted their defensive edge to ultimately bring home their first victory of the season, 7-5.
Looking to ride their wave of momentum, the Blue Eagles face a tall mountain to climb once they meet the top-seeded National University Bulldogs on Sunday, March 23, at 10:30 AM in the same venue.
The Lines:
UP (5): 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 – 5 12 2
Ateneo (7): 0 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 x – 7 9 4
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Bulldogs (2-0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (1-1)
- UST Golden Sox (1-1)
- DLSU Green Batters (1-1)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-2)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-2)
