Earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, the DLSU Green Batters notched their second win of the tournament against the NU Bulldogs, 7-2. With the win, the Green Batters now sport a 2-0 record early on in the tournament.
At the mound, Arvin Herrera held the Bulldogs to two runs in seven innings of work, recording six strikeouts. Reliever Boo Barandiaran also commanded the mound, as he kept NU scoreless down the stretch.
The first frame of the fixture saw a good start from a determined La Salle as they scored one run, courtesy of an Ignacio Escaño RBI single that allowed Diego Lozano to cross the plate.
In the second inning, the Bulldogs refused to let DLSU pull away. With Santos in scoring position, Paule grounded out to first, but was able to bring the runner on third base home to even the score,1-1. Herrera then cleaned things up, as he struck Andres out and then forced Tenorio to ground out to first for the third out.
The top of the third inning saw the Green Batters earn the go-ahead run. The leadoff hitter Barandiaran ignited as he hit a double to deep left center. A throwing error by NU allowed him to safely cross the plate to regain the lead, 2-1.
Eager to get their rhythm going, the Green Batters displayed their scintillating offense as they scored four runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, a passed ball by the Bulldogs allowed Gabo Pineda to score. Errors became even more costly for the Bulldogs, as a miscue at the home plate and another passed ball allowed Angelo Tantuico and Diego Lozano to cross the plate. Kiko Gesmundo would then connect for a sac fly that sent Barandiaran home, giving the Green-and-White a five-run advantage, 6-1. With NU only scoring one more run in the seventh inning, an unperturbed Barandiaran took over the mound and closed the game out.
The Green Batters look to carry their momentum in a highly anticipated matchup against their rivals, the ADMU Blue Eagles, on Sunday, February 24, at 7 am at the same venue.
