REIGNING UAAP champions UST Softbelles battered the heavily-favored Rizal Technological University (RTU) Lady Thunders, 3-1, to clinch the women’s crown in the Cebuana Lhuillier-National Softball Open last May 7, at Melvin Jones Park in Baguio city.
UST alumna and RP Blu Girl Esmeralda Tayag played the heroine’s role in the fifth inning when her run batted in (RBI) single gave UST the marginal point after a scoreless truce in the first four frames.
Tournament MVP Corazon Sobere immediately followed suit, propelling Season 72 Best Hitter Lani Sarmiento and Nelia Lara to home base in the sixth.
In the semifinals, UST pulverized the University of the Philippines via a 10-3 verdict to secure a slot in the championship, while RTU booked its Finals ticket after a 4-1 manhandling of Adamson University.
Asked how he would gauge the team’s performance in a scale of one to ten, head coach Sandy Barredo said he would give them a “nine.”
“The errors were minimal,” he said. “They [the Softbelles] were not pressured and simply enjoyed the games.”
Despite the recent victory, Barredo believes the team still had a long way to go in preparation for Season 73.
“We are not yet ready,” he said. “We’re in a process of rebuilding the team because many of them graduated.” Anne Marie Carmela L. Dayauon
