THE UST Golden Sox are back in the finals, waking up just in time to defeat Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP baseball tournament semifinals last Feb. 19 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium ballpark.
With the score tied at five after six innings, UST IX lit up the scoreboard with four runs at the top of the last inning. Pitcher Jun Robles had a two RBI triple, while catcher Jake Cumlat and first baseman Jerby Diego accounted for an RBI each.
UST’s defense blanked Ateneo at the bottom of the last inning.
“Mataas ang morale ngayon ng mga bata at kumukonekta na ang mga palo nila,” head coach Jeffrey Santiago said.
Robles, the season 67 most valuable player, relieved starting pitcher Emdin Bagalay at the bottom of the first inning following Ateneo’s two-straight runs, struck out eight batters, while allowing only three hits. Ateneo, on the other hand, alternated between hurlers John Zamora, Rommel Sta. Ana, Alexander Tolome, but only managed to retire three batters, while allowing the raging Golden Sox 10 hits. UST’s defensive scheme also worked as they only committed two errors, compared with Ateneo’s nine.
“Kinondisyon talaga namin ang aming mga sarili para sa laban na ito,” team captain Jerby Diego said.
Down 0-3 after the first inning, a two run triple by Diego sparked the momentum of the Golden Sox in the ensuing innings. Diego proved unstoppable as a one run triple at the sixth inning evened the score at five.
Diego, short stop Julius Gerona, and second base man Mark Castillo also delivered crucial double plays at the seventh and eight innings.
UST will be facing University of the Philippines in the best-of-three title showdown.
“Malaki ang chance (na manalo kami sa UP),” Robles said.
Santiago said that they need to parallel UP’s excellent pitching in order to win the title. He added that UP’s southpaw pitchers are deadly at the mound.
Bitter and better encounters
UST, which entered the semifinals with a twice-to-beat advantage, took a sour 5-12 defeat against Ateneo last Feb.16.
An uninspired performance from Robles at the mound allowed the Blue Batters to belt out 12 hits and ten runs. Ateneo’s Rommel Sta. Ana, meanwhile, allowed only five hits and nine runs for the Golden Sox.
Santiago’s wards committed seven crucial errors while Ateneo only made four.
Earlier, the Golden Sox also had forgettable defeats against UP (1-3) and Ateneo (4-5), after carving out convincing victories against National University (8-2), Adamson University (6-4), and De La Salle University (8-6).
Lady batters foiled
The UST Lady Batters settled for third after consecutive setbacks in the second leg of the eliminations. The “Softbelles” bowed out of the competition with a 5-5 win-loss record off a win against Ateneo last Feb. 16 at the UST diamond.
UST pitcher Aiza de la Torre struck out five batters for a no-hit-no-run job at the mound, while Ateneo’s Rona Monti retired one batter, while allowing eight hits and 15 runs.
UST’s superb performance against Ateneo, however, was not enough to overshadow its earlier failures against Adamson (0-8), La Salle (1-2), and UP (2-3). UST won against UE, 8-4, to start the second round.
Back-to-back champion Adamson completed an elimination round sweep. Jose Bimbo F. Santos
