IT WAS a dream half a century in the making.
But everything was worth the wait as the UST Softbelles finally ended an era of fruitless campaigns after unseating defending champions Adamson University, in an 8-3 pre-valentine brawl last February 13 at the UST open field. This was the team’s first ever championship tiara in UAAP softball history since the league’s conception in 1953.
A tournament sweep merits an automatic championship and as UST bulldozed the competition with a 10-0 slate, not even the defending champions stood on the way of their softball crown.
“The jinx is over and there’s no more curse,” said the teary-eyed coach Sandy Barredo. “I just told them to focus on the game and not to be pressured.”
With anxiety building up for UST at the top of the sixth inning, the momentum shifted to Adamson’s Elma Parohinog and Luzviminda Embudo as they lit the bases to level the field at 3-all, capitalizing on the Season 71 bridesmaids’ fielding woes.
But the pendulum finally swung hard to UST’s side at the bottom of the sixth inning after the Softbelles blasted the bases with five consecutive runs from Angelique Benjamin, Melanie Laserna, Aiza de la Torre, Lani Sarmiento, and Sharmaine Dionisio.
Frustration finally killed Adamson’s hope when Parohinog was called for a fly out at the top of the last frame, to the uproar of the cheering Thomasian crowd.
Back in the first inning, UST’s Ana Paghubasan flaunted an early 2-0 binge, after a strong centerfield mug that steered teammate Tresha Rodriguez to the home base.
It was only in the fourth frame when Embudo retaliated with a runner spearheaded by Julie Muyco’s centerfield grounder, 2-1, only to be answered by UST mainstay De la Torre’s swift homer on her turn at bat, 3-1.
Steel-nerved De la Torre finished as the league’s Most Valuable Player and Best Pitcher while Sarmiento also went home with two awards—Best Hitter and Most Runs Batted In. Paghubasan was named one of the homerun queens.
“I’m so thankful that each member of the team fought hard despite some errors,” communication arts junior De la Torre, who is playing her last year in the UAAP, emotionally said.
Their shortcut to the podium went in peril after a dramatic come-from-behind victory against University of the Philippines (UP), 4-3, last February 11.
Prior to the game, UST escaped Ateneo de Manila University by a whisker, 3-2, last February 6, after stumping University of the East, 14-6, last February 3.
The Softbelles opened the second round with a 12-2 carnage against De la Salle University last January 30, en route to a 7-2 thumping of UP in their first meeting last January 20, and a 5-2 triumph against Adamson last January 23.
Out
The UST Golden Sox had a bleaker ending to their campaign, as they gracefully bowed out of the competition to be nailed at a paltry fifth, just one win short of fourth placer La Salle.
The España sluggers walked out of the elimination rounds with a 4-6 win-loss slate after winning their last two games. But La Salle already closed the doors to the Final Four with five wins, rendering UST next victories as non-bearing.
“They built their confidence too late,” said coach Jeffrey Santiago, who hopes for a better season next year despite losing key players Chun Wang Song to graduation.
The black-and-gold batters showed their ferocity one last time against the Green Archers last February 14, 6-1, at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.
The Golden Sox sparked early runs in the second inning with a Harry Galapon-powered hit sending teammate Amber Plaza to homeplate. This was followed by Julius Gerona and Jovanni Ona scoring a run apiece, courtesy of Julian Teves’ hit to left field. Another run was made by Ka’Sulhay Argel as Teves’ took his turn at bat again on the fourth with La Salle still scoreless, 4-0.
Song set off the seventh inning with a hit to left field, bringing him as far as the third base and reaching home through Gerald Mitra’s centerfield hit. Mitra followed suit, as Angelo Castillo sent the ball to the far left field, 6-0. Superb throws by no-relief UST pitcher Plaza would have sent home the Taft-based batters scoreless if it weren’t for Juk Angeles’ homerun at the bottom of the last inning, ending the match at 6-1.
The black-and-gold sluggers also won against sixth placer Ateneo de Manila University, last February 11. Premature homeruns by Song and Mario Cerda at the first and third frame respectively, contributed largely to their 9-5 slaughter of the blue-and-white batters.
Prior to the non-bearing games, the February 7 defeat of the Golden Sox against the National University (NU), 7-8, was a fatal blow in pinning them to fifth, due to faulty throws from the pitcher’s mound. The Golden Sox ended similarly last February 4 upon facing University of the Philippines, 6-1. They opened the second round with a 3-9 upset of Adamson University last January 31.
The last game of the first round was a refreshing end for UST as it tasted its second victory against NU, 4-2, last January 24 after consecutive losses from UP, 7-11, and Adamson, 12-19, last January 21 and 17 respectively.
