UST senior Royevel “Kikay” Palma and rookie Celine Chang threw a combined no-hitter as the Tiger Softbelles dominated the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 13-0, to open their UAAP Season 86 softball campaign at the UP Diliman Baseball Field on Saturday, Feb 24.
Chang set the tempo early as she struck out six Ateneo batters, while allowing only a single walk after two and a half innings.
With the count full at three balls and two strikes in the bottom of the third inning, Chang threw a fastball that had Ateneo’s Nicole Dacutan frozen at the plate to complete her seven strikeouts.
Palma replaced Chang in the fourth inning and continued the domination as she retired the next two Ateneo batters and finished the inning with a strikeout of Asteria Franco.
Palma then had the final three Ateneo batters swing-and-miss to strike out the side and complete the combined no-hitter shutout.
“Kay Kikay (Palma) kasi wala naman kaming problema kasi disiplinado talaga siya, kilala niya sarili niya,” UST assistant coach Esmeralda Tayag said. “She’s more prepared this year compared to last year kasi iyon nga injured siya last year and now recovered na siya.”
The Tiger Softbelles opened the gates with a 2-0 lead after a Charlotte Sales run-batted-in (RBI) single hit that sent Lyca Blanco home and a couple of Ateneo errors that eventually sent Sales home.
In the top of the third inning, UST continued to pour in the runs courtesy of Blanco, Erika Fernandez, and rookie Jojielyn Lim, 5-0.
A Blanco hit sent rookie Helga Campos home, while hits by Lim and Shyla Celis ignited three more UST runs in the top of the fourth inning, 9-0.
Lim batted in two more runs, while Campos and her fellow rookie Mharnie de la Cruz reached home to virtually seal UST’s win via the mercy rule, 13-0.
Blanco and Sales paced the Tiger Softbelles with four and three runs, respectively.
“Good start ‘to compared sa last year. Mas maganda hitting, communication and teamwork nila this year,” Tayag said. “Kapag ganito ‘yong momentum, maganda ‘yong performance nila at solid sila kung maglaro, may paglalagyan tayo.”
The UST Tiger Softbelles will next face the defending champions Adamson Lady Falcons at the same venue on Feb. 28, Wednesday, at 3 p.m.
