ATONING for an inconsistent first-round performance, the UST Softbelles marked their resurgence with a 14-8 conquest of University of the Philippines last Feb. 4 at the UST open field to keep their title hopes alive in the Season 71 softball competition.
Softbelle Lani Sarmiento’s homer off a powerful center-left field hit fuelled a ten-run UST scoring juggernaut in the second-inning which spelled trouble for the Diliman-based batters. UST then decimated UP’s batting order, striking out Angel Jadloc, Eliza Legarte and Nicolet Cruz.
The España-based batters continued to starve UP’s offense in the third inning as third base man Anna Paghubasan and first base man Lilet Arago joined hands defensively to prevent Lady Maroon Mariel Sayuno from advancing to first base.
UST team captain Aiza dela Torre reached as far as third base in the next inning after a steal-base attempt from Arago, but UP second base man Nicolette Cruz immediately sent the ball to Kring Sanggalang who then tagged Arago out.
Lady Maroon Alex Zuluaga later singled home to give UP a semblance of a fight before Sanggalang was ousted on her way to the first base.
In the fifth inning, however, UST suddenly went cold, allowing UP to inch closer with a scorching four-run swing. Anna Ebreo, Sayuno and Zuluaga crossed the home plate courtesy of Jocelyn Gonzalez who reached the last base with a single hit.
UST retaliated come sixth inning with its own four-run binge. Paghubasan arrived at third base with her own center-left field foray which was quickly completed by home runner Melanie Laserna’s hit. The left field attack of Sarmiento forced a crucial defensive lapse from UP, sending Dela Torre home.
But UP refused to yield just yet, earning three runs from Sayuno, Xyle Paz, and Zuluaga. Neither team, however, tallied a point in the last inning.
“We need to catch up in practice to deal with our lapses in batting and pitching,” Softbelles’ coach Sandy Barredo told the Varsitarian. “We have to make our defense more effective and make sure we are mentally prepared.”
But playing minus the frayed nerves that cost them a pair of crucial games against reigning titlist Adamson and UP, Barredo’s wards appeared sharp and lethal, devouring a hapless Ateneo de Manila University twice-in-a-row with an identical 14-7 repeat, to notch their third and fourth win last Jan. 24 and Jan 28.
Despite the recent Ateneo manhandling, the Softbelles have yet to find the winning formula over UP, surrendering a 7-5 seven-inning heartbreaker last Jan. 21.
In earlier matches, UST ripped De La Salle University, 9-2, last Jan. 17 to avenge a 1-4 defeat from Season 69 champions Adamson last Jan. 14.
The Softbelles debuted with a 7-3 bashing of the University of the East last Jan. 10.
Losing skid
The exodus of key players from last season’s roster are now taking its toll on the UST Golden Sox as they succumbed to a three-game slump for a fourth-best 2-4 win-loss record in the second round of the Season 71 baseball hostilities.
“Walang concentration ang mga bagong pitchers, iba talaga kapag rookie,” coach Jeffrey Santiago told the Varsitarian.
True enough, pitching woes spelled the Golden Sox’ latest setback, this time at the hands of UP, which dealt them a 2-8 beating last Feb. 1 at the at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark
UP broke the ice, scoring two runs in the fourth inning but UST shortstop Michael Zapanta answered back with a homer off Maroon catcher Kenneth Natividad’s error.
Golden Sox Erwin Manuel then carded a run-batted-in that launched Chun Wang Song home to tie the count, 2-2, on top of the eighth inning. But UP exploited UST’s pitching woes, unleashing a six-run assault at the bottom of the eighth inning to cop the match.
The Golden Sox sorely missed the services of Season 70 Best Pitcher Jon-Jon Robles, Season 70 Best Hitter and Slugger Israel Ona and old reliables Alden Lozada and Ace Baquiran who played out their eligibility last season.
Last Jan. 29, UST fell prey to Ateneo, 6-14, after suffering an 8-0 shutout last Jan. 25 from Season 70 finals rival Adamson led by ace hurler and reigning MVP Romeo Jasmin.
In its earlier games, UST banked on Song’s two-run homer – the first in Season 71 – to dispatch of National University, 8-3, last Jan. 22, four days after opening the season with an 11-3 thrashing of La Salle. The Golden Sox tasted their first loss against UP, 12-2, in eight innings last Jan. 15.
