THE UST Softbelles and Golden Sox came close to reaching the Finals but were both denied by National University (NU) in their respective games last Feb. 12 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Softbelles duplicated their third-place finish last season with an 8-5 win-loss record as they failed to rise from a four-point deficit against the Lady Bulldogs, 5-9.
Fourth-seeded Golden Sox, who only managed three wins in 10 outings, lost in the battle-for-third against NU, 3-7.
Leading by just a point, 5-4, in the third frame, the Lady Bulldogs dictated the tempo in the following inning after UST committed a series of errors.
NU’s Whell Nietes did not waste the opportunity to pull away and went for a sharp right fielder that gave her team three Runs Batted In (RBI), 8-3.
Softbelle Mallows Garde went for a sacrificial bat in the fifth inning, which resulted in two bonus points for UST, 5-9.
NU only needed good defense to keep UST scoreless in the last two innings and advance to the Finals for the second time against three-time defending champion Adamson University.
After trailing by a point in the first frame, the Golden Sox tied the game at the bottom of the sixth with a home plate steal from Christian Mercado off an NU catching error.
Adrian Pedracio put UST on the driver’s seat through a Mario Cerda RBI, 3-2. But it was the last point for the Golden Sox.
The Bulldogs answered with three quick points at the top of the seventh inning before denying UST of a point at the bottom of the same frame, 5-3.
NU’s centerfielder continued the scoring surge off the batter’s right field flyer. Marcial Gante followed with another home-base finish after capitalizing on an RBI.
The Golden Sox were helpless as NU went on to pile two more points at the top of the ninth inning, before holding UST scoreless anew at the bottom of the same inning for the final score.
“The shortstop’s errors proved to be crucial as it allowed NU to steal bases and score,” coach Jeff Santiago said.
The Golden Sox barges into the Final Four with a 4-1 win over Adamson last Feb 9.
Carlo Conge put UST ahead in the second inning as he sparked a 3-0 run off a homeplate steal.
Conge’s right field bat in the eighth inning sent Arvin Plaza to home base for an RBI, 4-0.
Adamson’s pitcher was the lone bright spot for his team as he scored the Falcons’ only point off a left field hit. Alexis U. Cerado and Ralph Joshua D.R. Hernandez
