Things did not start and end right for the DLSU Green Batters as they lost to the undefeated University of Santo Tomas (UST) squad, 5-4, at the onset of the second round of the UAAP Season 73 Baseball Tournament, Jan. 8, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The Espana-based squad immediately went ahead for a 3-0 run toward the end of the third inning, thus putting unwanted pressure on the Green-and-White Squad. The Taft-based baseball players then resurged in the seventh inning, as they started their own 3-0 run coming off a hit by rookie Fernando Imperial and managed to make another run at the start of the eighth inning.
The Tigers, however, came back and made a run of their own towards the wind-up of the ninth inning to knot the count at 4-4 and forced head into the extra innings. The Espana- based squad took advantage of an error made by Green Batter Gabriel Baroque which gave Gold-and-White clad batter Jiovanni Ona the chance to end the La Salle uprising in the tenth inning.
Their lone win this season came at the expense of the defending champions Adamson University (AdU), whom they beat, 5-4, Dec. 5.
After absorbing yet another setback, their sixth overall, the Green Batters fell once more to the league-worst record, tied with idle University of the Philippines (UP). They are still seeking more wins in the hopes of preserving their surprise fourth-place finish last season.
Softbelles absorb fifth and sixth setbacks
Over at the distaff side, the DLSU Softball team currently totes a one-win, six-loss record which eerily mirrors that of their male counterparts, which likewise relegates them to the lowest position in the rankings that was dominated by AdU and University of the East (UE) Softbelles.
Their record, meanwhile, mirrors that of fellow bottom-feeders Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU), and UP.
Their first game at the start of the second round was against the defending champion Lady Falcons and like their first meeting during the first round of the tournament last year, they were once more blown out by the San Marcelino-based Softbelles, 7-0, last Jan. 8 at the Rosario Sports Complex.
The seven runs they yielded to the Lady Falcons was much lower than the season-worst 18 runs they yielded against the same AdU team at the start of the season.
Their most recent game last Jan. 12 at the UP field against the defending champions, the UST Tigresses, was yet another loss, 2-5. The Tigresses are currently holding their own at the third place with four wins and two losses.
They are still seeking to win their second game following a 5-3 conquest of ADMU last Dec. 11.
