FORMER Best Slugger CJ Roa nailed a crucial left-field home run at the bottom of the seventh inning to propel the UST Tiger Softbelles past the University of the East, 6-5, and advance to the finals of the UAAP Season 80 softball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Stadium Thursday.
After Roa’s home run, UE committed a catching error which led to a Bianca Hernandez conversion for the win.
“Hindi ko ine-expect ‘yun (home run). Actually, palapit na ko sa kabilang coach, kakamayan ko na para sa second game sa Sabado. Maski ako, hindi ako nage-expect noon, ang alam ko lang i-hi-hit niya. Nagkataon lang, nakatyamba,” Softbelles head coach Sandy Barredo said.
UST drew first blood early in the first inning after Hannah Dela Torre and Tin Palma’s conversions courtesy of Palma and Roa’s center-right-field hits, 2-0.
UE, however, answered quickly at the top of the second inning with quadruple runs highlighted by a Roxell Niloban home run to take a 4-2 advantage.
Softbelle Jessie Belaño hit a left field run-batted-in double at the bottom of the second frame that sent Lyra Gustilo back to home plate but Niloban quickly answered with a home run at the third inning to keep UE up, 5-3.
At the bottom of the sixth inning, Gustilo’s sacrificial left-field fly paved way for pinch runner Angel Tonquin to reach home base, 5-4.
UST will face seven-time defending champion Adamson University in a best-of-three finals series that will begin on March 13, Tuesday, 9 a.m., at the same venue.
