The DLSU Green Batters claimed their first victory in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball Tournament after overwhelming their rivals ADMU Blue Eagles, 9-1, earlier today, March 2, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
In it to win it
The rivalry match between the two teams began with the Green Batters stepping out to bat at the top of the first inning. Ateneo showed early-game nerves, with out-of-zone throws that allowed La Salle to advance to first base and eventually reach second. As the Blue-and-White continued to struggle and with two DLSU runners on respective bases, Yuan Sumague scored the first run, 1-0. The Taft-based squad capitalized on Ateneo’s pitching errors and defensive lapses, allowing Liam De Vera to cross home plate and give the team an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom inning, Barry Oñas pitched for the injured Agon De Vera, but he was forced to give up a walk for Ateneo’s Pop Bernardo to first base. Dax Fabella stepped up to hit for the Katipunan-based squad. He scrambled La Salle’s defense, advancing Bernardo to second base and eventually third. Building on this setup, the Blue Eagles managed to score their sole run as the pitcher’s throw was off target, ending the first inning with DLSU still in the lead, 2-1.
The action continued for the second innings, with Patricio Senador pitching for the Blue Eagles, but he was met with a good hit by Joseph Alcontin. However, Alcontin was quickly caught as Ateneo strengthened their defense. The inning continued with errors in pitching and from the bat as the Green Batters moved into the bottom of the second inning with no runs secured. As DLSU pitched and kept a tight defense, Ateneo’s Alfy Tueres was taken out. The Green Batters’ defense stifled Ateneo, forcing consecutive outs, 2-1.
In the third innings, recurring out-of-zone pitches from Ateneo helped DLSU’s Ezykiel Bautista to secure first base and swiftly advance to second after another bat. A throwing error allowed Sumague to reach first base, but as he pushed for second, Ateneo forced an out. DLSU’s Bautista stays locked on third base as Ateneo plays tight defense, but Miguel Agoncillo of the Green-and-White delivered a strong hit, scrambling Ateneo’s defense and allowing Bautista to score, while Agoncillo advanced to second and eventually third, giving DLSU another run, 3-1. Ateneo hurdled by defense with Senador committing another error, forcing Agoncillo to run home and extend DLSU’s lead to 4-1. Riding this momentum, the Green-and-White took the field with commendable defense, executing three consecutive defensive plays in the bottom inning to take out Ateneo’s Luis Casanova and Wax Mendoza. The inning ended with a well-executed catch, allowing DLSU to maintain a 4-1 lead.
DLSU kept their momentum going in the fourth inning. Alcontin reached first base and later led the charge for a series of runs as the Green Batters sprinted home, 6-1. Despite a few quick outs, the Green Batters capitalized on Ateneo’s pitching errors to extend their lead. On defense, Oñas took the mound for DLSU. Although one ADMU batter was able to slip by and reach the base, Oñas quickly regained control with a strikeout. A tense moment followed when Ateneo was nearly called out a second, but after a thorough review, the umpire ruled it safe. Undeterred, Oñas caught a short-distance hit to shut down the inning.
The fifth inning saw a brief struggle at bat for DLSU, as Ateneo secured two quick outs. However, a wild pitch granted the Green Batters a free walk, opening the door for runners to cross home plate and widening the gap to 9-1. Ateneo attempted to respond, but a defensive miscue led to a DLSU player limping out of the game. Despite the setback, Oñas remained composed, making crucial throws to Sumague and Agoncillo to shut down the Blue Eagle’s offense, keeping the score at 9-1.
Finishing touches
By the sixth inning, De Vera earned a free walk after an errant Ateneo pitch, but ADMU tightened their defense to prevent further damage. On the mound, Oñas continued his dominant performance, striking out one batter and forcing key outs, closing the inning strong. With sharp defense and smart plays, the Green Batters maintained their 9-1 lead, taking advantage of Ateneo’s errors while keeping their own field secure.
At the top of the seventh, the Green Batters were unable to score after improved defense from the Blue Eagles. Despite hits from the Lasallians, the Ateneans were quick to respond, getting the ball first at the bases before the Green Batters could make a run. At the bottom, La Salle maintained their tight defense, stopping Ateneo’s attempts at scoring to keep their comfortable lead. At the top of the eighth, La Salle hit Ateneo’s pitches. Samague got to second base, but La Salle struck out before he could make a run, 9-1.
In the final inning, L. De Vera and Jose Tantuico reached third and second base, respectively, in hopes of building on their commanding lead. However, Ateneo displayed good defense to give themselves a chance at the bottom of the inning. In spite of their opponents’ resolve, the Green Batters showed their prowess, catching out Ateneo’s attempts at scoring. The game ended with a dominant scoreline in favor of the Green-and-White, 9-1.
After the match, Head Coach Joseph Orillana shared that improving their hits was crucial to bounce back from their earlier loss, “Naging adjustment namin is ‘yung hitting kasi yun yung nawala nung Wednesday.”
(Our adjustment was our hitting because that was the missing part last Wednesday.)
Orillana also shaded that his pitchers today stood up to the challenge despite an injury to team captain A. De Vera, “Sobrang excellent, sobrang proud kami sa rookie pitcher kasi nga ang target namin is five to six innings, pero dahil nandoon yung drive niya hinihingan niya pa ako ng one more inning, so binigay ko sa kanya hanggang eighth inning. ‘Yon yung gusto ko madevelop sa kanya—yung tapang sa laro.”
(Very excellent. We are very proud of our rookie pitcher because our initial target was five to six inning, but because his drive was there he kept on asking for one more inning, so I gave it to him until the eighth inning. That is what I want him to develop—the bravery in playing.)
After this win, the Green Batters improved to a 1-1 record. They will work to further rise in the standings when they take on the AdU Soaring Falcons on March 19 for the third game of the day at the same venue.
