DESPITE dropping all three of their elimination games to a more fancied Adamson squad, the UST Lady Batters defied the odds and scored a 7-0 victory over the Filomeno “Boy” Codiñera-mentored Lady Falcons to annex the Manila Youth Games (MYG) Softball title last April 12 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The UST Lady Batters made it to the championship game by relying on a grand-slam from up-and-coming sophomore right fielder Gedda Valencia as they creamed a lowly Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 11-0.
In the finals, UST’s Karen Tolentino opened fire in the third inning with a Run-Batted-In (RBI) driving in teammate Princess Albay for the game’s first point.
An RBI by outfielder Donna Mendoza in the next inning gave UST a 2-0 lead.
Adamson’s penchant for late comebacks in mind, UST banked on a fifth inning outburst by catcher Joy Daquiado and Valencia to seal the title-clinching victory.
With Diana Rose Entera and Tolentino occupying the second and third bases respectively at the start of the fifth inning, Daquiado hit the ball into the outfield scoring a two-run triple. Valencia followed with a two-RBI homerun to pad UST’s lead to six.
Staring at a 6-0 deficit, Adamson tried to make a last-ditch run but to no avail. The Lady Falcons started to show signs of a comeback as Esmeralda Tayag’s pitching turned sour, allowing two walks at the bottom of the fifth inning.
However, Emily Tayag, Esmeralda’s younger sister, made a great catch in the left outfield and spoiled what could have been a triple-run homer by Adamson’s Katherine Rance with a catch in the left outfield.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Adamson pitcher Johana Caunga wasted another scoring opportunity as she was thrown out at first base with a runner at third.
The older Tayag put the icing on the cake as she scored an RBI single in the last inning. In Adamson’s last scoring chance, Mendoza caught Aribal’s hit with a runner on base.
“I told the girls to just relax especially when Adamson tried to make a run. Win or lose, just play our game,” said assistant coach Joey Lao, who took the coaching reins in the absence of UST Softball head coach Sandy Barredo.
“We gained experience from our loss (to Adamson in the eliminations). Na-lessen ang mga errors namin at saka sumabay na maganda ang palo namin,” Lao added.
Meanwhile, four UST players were selected to join the MYG selection that will compete in the Little League Philippine Series slated on April 22-30 in San Pablo City.
Many-time national players Esmeralda Tayag and Gedda Valencia will be pitching for the MYG selection, while third baseman Joan Locsin and shortstop Diana Rose Entera complete the players who will come from UST.
Barredo was tapped to mentor the selection together with Adamson’s assistant coach Rolly Malaguit.
Barredo said that team manager Ali Atienza, son of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, promised to bring the MYG selection to the Canada Cup scheduled sometime in July if they win the title in the Philippine Series. The winner of the Philippine Series will represent the country in the Little League World Series in Michigan, USA, in August. A. T. Almo
