ENTERING THE last two games of the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 79 Baseball tournament, the Ateneo Blue Eagles suffered their first defeat in four games to the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, losing their chance at a perfect first round record, as the race for the top two spots on the table heats up. Fresh off a huge upset against title-holders De La Salle University (DLSU), AdU continued their triumphant winning streak, protecting a crucial four-run lead for seven innings to sneak past Ateneo at 4-2 on Wednesday, February 15 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The first two innings were crucial in putting AdU a step ahead of their opponents, forcing the Blue Eagles to fight tooth and nail throughout the match to chip away at a vital four-run lead earned by the Soaring Falcons early in the game.

Quick hits from the Falcons, leadoff Riparip and centerfielder Bosito, granted AdU an opportunity to send in runs at the top of the first and gain the advantage against starting pitcher Nacho Lozano. A huge triple from third baseman Manaig then cleared the bases to bring the two runners home, while a single from Carandang into the outfield gave Manaig the freedom to score, setting the Blue Eagles back three runs by the end of the first inning.

Not looking to back down, Ateneo then threatened AdU with an even greater message from the plate, as Radito Banzon, Marco Mallari, and Javi Macasaet loaded the bases to set up a possible equalizer. The Blue Eagles, however, were unable to convert and send their runners to safety, as hits from captain Renzo Ramos and Dan Laurel failed to escape the reaches of the Adamson infield and get Ateneo on the scoreboard.

AdU would soon conclude their offensive assault just moments later at the top of the second, securing their final point of the game with a run from Riparip off a deep shot into centerfield from Bosito. Strong hitting from the Soaring Falcons would put Ateneo on the losing side of a 4-run deficit throughout the match, forcing the Blue Eagles on a tiring chase for the lead as the game progressed.

Despite Lozano holding the Soaring Falcons scoreless with three strikeouts over the next three innings, an inability to convert hits into runs on the Ateneo side merited the team’s own demise. The bottom of the fifth marked another significant attempt by the Blue Eagles to cut the lead, with Alindogan knocking in a double to kickstart a rally and ignite a comeback. Banzon followed suit with another hit, putting two runners on base to set the stage for Mallari at the plate. The centerfielder then slammed a grounder past the AdU infield for a 1-RBI single that sent Alindogan home for the Blue Eagles’ first run of the game, bringing the score to (4-1).

With Mallari and Banzon on first and second, a succeeding walk by J.Macasaet loaded the bases to put a tying run on first, which forced Adamson’s first pitcher change, as Carandang took over at the mound for starter Maigue. Faced with yet another full-base predicament, the relief pitcher then led his team’s escape from the dangerous scoring situation, managing to strike out Tantuico and Balagtas to end the fifth inning.

Unable to afford any more runs scored against his team, head coach Randy Dizer made his first pitcher switch at the top of the sixth, replacing Lozano with Miggy Angeles in an attempt to close the floodgates from the mound. Angeles eventually tallied two strikeouts at the top of the eighth, displaying another solid closing performance to put a damper on the Soaring Falcons’ offensive firepower towards the deciding moments of the match.

Ateneo shortstop Dan Laurel delivered the lone hit at the bottom of the eighth, going solo on base in an effort to shorten the gap heading into the final inning. His attempt to steal third and get in position for the score, however, was thwarted by Adamson catcher Manaig for the final out of the eighth, which then set up a showdown at the bottom of the ninth inning, with the board still reading (4-1).

In need of three runs to force extra innings and four runs to claim victory, the Blue Eagles sparked a rally to save the game and their chances for a perfect season but ultimately fell short of the perfect finish. With pinch runner Enrico Untalan on second base in place of designated hitter Ryan Hilario, Mallari smacked a grounder past first base territory, which trickled into the outfield to send in Untalan for the score. Down4-2 with a tying run at the plate, Javi Macasaet knocked a screamer into right-center, but the hit was then caught for the final out of the game, dealing the Blue Eagles their first loss of the season.

The Blue Eagles first loss and AdU’s previous victory against DLSU sets up a three-way tie for the top spot, with all three team’s collecting three wins and one loss. Ateneo faces DLSU on Sunday, February 19, while AdU faces host school University of Santo Tomas on the final day of the first round of competition.

The Adamson Falcons end the Blue Eagles’ perfect record.

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