THE UST Golden Sox succumbed to the IPPC Hawks, 5-9, in Game 1 of the inaugural LGP Tingzon Cup finals at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 11.
The Golden Sox started strong, opening with a four-run top of the first inning, but failed to connect in the latter innings against pitcher and national team player Clarence Caasalan, who pitched a full game.
UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago said that despite the loss, the Golden Sox held their own well against a national team-laden IPPC.
“Pihadong mas malakas ito (IPPC Hawks) kaysa sa mga team ng UAAP,” Santiago told the Varsitarian. “RP (Philippine) team ‘yong pitcher e, magaling talaga iyon. Pero tumatama naman tayo.”
“Limang RP team ‘yan tapos former RP team pa ‘yong iba. Pero kayang-kaya. Kayang-kaya namang talunin ‘yan,” he added.
In the top of the first inning, Golden Sox Justine Rosales hammered in a two-run-batted-in single to right center, sending John Vargas and Alwyn Piñero home, 2-0, before sacrifice flies by Steven Dominguez and Jester Tapia scored Harry Geronimo and Rosales for a 4-0 UST lead.
The Hawks knocked in two runs of their own in the bottom first to keep it within two, 4-2.
With a three-run edge heading into the third following a Vargas run in the second, 5-2, the Golden Sox crumbled in the bottom half, as fielding errors hounded UST. Golden Sox pitchers Jesus Cabigao and Irvin Llave gave up three runs that knotted the game at 5-all.
The Hawks continued to claw the Golden Sox with three more runs in the bottom fourth to take an 8-5 lead.
Relieving Llave, closing pitcher Geronimo momentarily held off the rally, pitching three scoreless innings. However, he gave up a run in the bottom sixth that widened the Golden Sox deficit to four, 5-9.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Rosales and Steven Dominguez’s consecutive singles put them in scoring positions, but the Golden Sox failed to convert a run.
Santiago said that the Golden Sox needed to have better in-game adjustments for Game 2, especially against Hawks pitcher Caasalan.
“Ang pitcher lang naman ang nakaka-hold sa’min e,” he said. “Kinakailangan tatamaan nang maayos gawa ng matibay ang depensa nila.”
“Lumalaban ang mga bata. We just fight,” he added. “Not that nagwi-wish kami ng championship, pero as much as possible we are capable of winning.”
Game 2 of the LGP Tingzon Cup 2024 finals is tentatively set for Saturday, Aug. 17, in the same venue.
