THE ATENEO de Manila University Blue Eagles disposed of an error-plagued UST Golden Sox via mercy rule, 13-3, in the UAAP Season 81 baseball tournament opener at the Rizal Memorial Stadium Sunday.
Rod Bitong hammered a left-field-fly run-batted-in (RBI) double that sent Yoji Ueda to home plate in the seventh inning to give Ateneo the win.
Emmanuel Tantuico started the romp for the Eagles with a three-run home run in the first inning, 3-0.
The Golden Sox’s six errors doomed them as Ateneo’s four runs came from fielding errors.
Leading 7-3, the Eagles added five more insurance conversions in the sixth inning, courtesy of Marco Mallari’s right field RBI, Bitong’s two RBI double and Alvaro Macasaet’s inside-the-park two-run home run, 12-3.
UST’s Vince Mangapis also had an infield two-run home run in the fourth inning, 2-5.
Ateneo ace pitcher Paulo Macasaet played the whole game, striking out 11 sluggers, while the UST quartet of Ian Llave, Jackson Acuña, Ron Christian de la Cruz and Mangapis only fanned five.
Ateneo tallied 11 hits while UST only had six.
The Golden Sox look to bounce back against defending champion Adamson University Soaring Falcons on Feb. 20, Wednesday, at the same venue.
