THE EUPHORIA of their queen-size upset over the defending champions University of the East in the semifinals did not last long.
The UST Lady Batters’ amazing run came to an unexpected end as they were swept by the Adamson University Lady Falcons in the best-of-three finals of the UAAP softball.
In game one of the championship, the Lady Falcons rode on Loverly Parohinog’s homer in the early goings en route to a 3-0 shutout of the Lady Batters last Feb. 14 at the UST diamond.
Analyn de Guzman’s run-batted-in (RBI) double sent home Katherine Rance to extend the lead to two. UST was never in the game as pitchers Esmeralda Tayag and Jedda Valencia struggled on the mound. Tayag and Valencia combined for only three strikeouts while they committed two costly errors.
Yocelle Valenzuela’s single hitter scored Karina Aribal in the fifth inning to finished off the Lady Batters.
Their second face-off in the series was not decided until the final inning.
The Lady Falcons caught fire at the start as they ran away with four runs. Parohinog joined forces with Joselle Aguilar in that searing run. But the Lady Batters quickly answered with Valencia’s homer that brought home Tayag and rookie Mary Ann Cardaño. Daquiado tied the game with a stolen home in the ensuing play.
Valenzuela put the Lady Falcons ahead, 5-4, on a single hitter in the second inning. Aguilar and Sarah Jane Agravante padded the lead to three on top of the fifth inning.
Tayag rallied the Lady Batters with her homerun to the right near the park road of UST.
With the game on the line, Emily Tayag’s hard hitter to the left allowed Joan Locsin to cut the lead, 7-6. Going for the equalizer, Valencia was caught in the second base that quashed UST’s hope of extending the series.
“Tayo rin ang tumalo sa sarili natin. Score na sana tayo pero naging error pa,” said the dejected Lady Batters’ coach, Sandy Barredo, referring to the final play.
Meanwhile, Esmeralda Tayag romped away with the most RBIs in the tournament together with University of the Philippine’s pitcher Heidi Arca. Alder T. Almo
