WITH UNPRECEDENTED resolve, the Ateneo Men’s Baseball Team vanquished the National University (NU) Batters to reap their first victory in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Tournament. The match-up was held earlier today at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Baseball Field in Quezon City.
Looking to pounce early on in the contest, the NU Batters put on a fiery display in the first inning. With eager swings, the Manila-based squad drew first blood with Kent Altarejos’ runs batted in (RBI) single to send Nigel Paule to home plate, 1-0. Undeterred by the opposing side, Ateneo showed their mettle on the defensive, staving off more potential runs early in the game.
Moving to the 2-3-4 innings, both teams shut out each other’s hitters to keep the scoring at bay. Nonetheless, Ateneo finally unlocked the NU pitching with a tying RBI single from Atenean Third-Baseman Ethan Mitschiener in the fourth inning, 1-1. To keep their momentum, Center Fielder Geoff Madsadia delivered a lung-busting sprint to salvage the go-ahead run, 2-1.
The Ateneo offense continued to wreak havoc on NU’s pitcher MJ Carolino in the fifth and sixth, swinging in crucial base hits. In the fifth inning, Ateneo’s designated hitter Luis Capati delivered a resounding sacrifice fly for Atenean Skipper Enzo Montemayor to send in a whirl-winded run, 3-1. In search of insurance, Blue Eagle Magsadia extended the lead with an RBI double, 4-1.
However, the NU side eagerly looked to cut the deficit in the seventh inning, delivering unforgivable base hits to send the score deadlocked. NU’s Center Fielder Cyril Antipolo pinched out a run with errors from the Blue Eagle Defense, 2-4. Meanwhile, the Third-Baseman Gio Gorpido managed to secure two runs during his time at bat, 4-4.
Looking to bring momentum back on their side in the bottom of the inning, Blue Eagle Matt San Juan rocketed a line drive to center field to snatch the lead back for Ateneo, 5-4.
In the remaining innings, the Loyola Heights-based pitcher Gab Francisco locked in for the final few outs. In the closing at-bat, Atenean Second-Baseman Javi Limpo delivered a pivotal catch on rookie Jherick Timbat’s hit to conclude the highly-contested battle, 5-4.
With a phenomenal performance from the Blue and White’s side, Atenean Skipper Montemayor felt overjoyed by the team’s tireless efforts on the ballpark. “Coming off from last year […], we really needed to prove to ourselves that we could come back from when we were down,” he shared.
The Blue Eagles hope to continue their winning ways for their UAAP Season 86 campaign as they face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Sunday, March 3, at 8:00 AM in the same venue.
Standings (W-L)
- DLSU Green Batters (1-0)
- UST Golden Sox (1-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-1)
- NU Batters (1-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-2)
