The DLSU Green Batters snatched the first game of the UAAP Season 88 Baseball Tournament Finals, stunning the reigning titleholders NU Bulldogs, 2-1, earlier today, April 14, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Liam De Vera was the star of the match as he delivered a two-way dominant display. The Green Batters ace pitched a complete game with no earned runs and seven strikeouts, while also scoring a run and hitting an RBI double.
Double Trouble
The game opened with high-stakes execution as De Vera turned a 2-all count into a strategic reach at first, eventually scoring the game’s first run after a daring steal and a clutch RBI single to centerfield by Marco Tantuico, 1-0. While a late rally put two runners on, the threat was neutralized when Yuta Kajihara was thrown out at first to end the frame. De Vera then traded his bat for a glove and delivered a defensive masterclass, striking out Kiel Olazo, Jherick Timban, and Kenneth Maulit, keeping the momentum firmly in his favor.
The second and third innings transformed into a tactical chess match. In the second, Amiel De Guzman showcased his defensive IQ with multiple pick-off attempts, eventually catching Andres Lacson in a tag-out to erase a lead-off hit. Meanwhile, the offense struck again in the third when Barry Oñas reached on a hit to right field and was driven home by De Vera, who padded his own lead with an RBI single, 2-0. De Vera remained untouchable on the mound, retiring six straight batters through the bottom of the third to maintain a clean sheet.
By the fourth inning, both pitchers had settled into a dominant rhythm. De Guzman regained his composure for the defending champions, sandwiching a Bautista base hit between two swinging strikeouts to escape the top half unscathed. De Vera matched the intensity in the bottom half, forcing a routine groundout and his fifth strikeout of the day before a flyout by Maulit ended the inning. Through four, the story remained centered on De Vera’s dual-threat performance and a defense that refused to yield.
Holding strong
After the two early runs, De Guzman got into a groove. Following a shortstop error that allowed Tuting Samuel to reach base at the top of the fifth, the NU pitcher retired the next three in order. De Vera would respond to his counterpart at the bottom of the inning as although he allowed his first hit of the game, a two-out double to Julius Soriano, he once again left the inning with no damage done.
The pitcher’s duel continued in the sixth as De Guzman left the inning unscathed after La Salle centerfielder Yuan Sumague was caught stealing, while De Vera handily retired the NU lineup in order through two pop-ups and a fly out.
The top of the seventh was the same story for De Guzman as he recorded another 1-2-3 inning. However, De Vera faced more traffic as NU finally got on the board. After a leadoff single and subsequent steal by Bulldogs centerfielder Timban, Green Batters shortstop Ezy Bautista made an errant throw to third that allowed the NU hitter to come home and cut the deficit to one, 2-1. The La Salle pitcher was able to record two outs in succession to limit the damage and end the inning.
After gaining momentum in the previous inning, the defending champions kept up the pressure as they put a runner on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. This time, De Vera was able to get out of the jam with a crucial strikeout of Timban to maintain the lead.
In the final inning, De Guzman capped off a solid complete game performance with three quick outs at the top of the ninth. With a chance to take a 1-0 advantage in the series, the Bulldogs once again proved resilient as another shortstop error and a single put runners on first and third with two outs. With La Salle head coach opting to walk NU catcher Charles Chua, De Vera faced a bases loaded with two outs scenario and was able to get NU left fielder Aaron Detoito to ground into a fielder’s choice to give the Green Batters a 2-1 victory.
With a hard-fought 2-1 victory, Green Batters Head Coach Joseph Orillana is keeping the Green-and-White’s eyes on the prize by emphasizing discipline over celebration. While acknowledging the defensive masterclass led by De Vera in the opener, Orillana is wary of the adjustments NU will inevitably bring to Game 2, particularly regarding their pitching rotation. To counter this, he intends to ramp up the team’s hitting volume and carefully select a mound matchup that can neutralize the Bulldogs’ firepower. His message to the squad is clear: the mission isn’t over until the final out. “Finish strong sa Game 2,” Orillana urged, insisting that the team must play with zero reservations and an “all-out” mentality to prevent any room for an NU comeback and finally reclaim the championship.
Ace pitcher De Vera showcased nerves of steel and a massive heart, tossing a complete game despite the physical toll of a grueling postseason. Still recovering from a 136-pitch performance in the Final Four against Adamson that technically required more rest, De Vera insisted on taking the mound for Game 1, fueled by a “finish what he started” mentality. Even as fatigue set in and the heat intensified, his resolve never wavered. When pitching coach Joshua Pineda offered a relief substitute, De Vera’s response was definitive: “Angkinin ko na ‘to, kahit pagod na, ako na.”
(This one’s mine, even if I’m tired, I’ll do it.)
His dominance on the mound was no accident, but rather the result of meticulous scouting and personal familiarity with the NU lineup. Leveraging his experience as a national teammate to key Bulldogs players, De Vera focused his energy on neutralizing the top of their order, specifically targeting the one through four hitters to disrupt their offensive rhythm. Beyond his tactical execution, De Vera credited the electric atmosphere provided by the supporters for pushing him through the final innings. “Factor din ‘yan sa game, lalo na pag may fans na maingay, may drums,” he noted, dedicating the victory to the community that fueled his grit through every tiring pitch.
(They’re a huge factor in the game, especially the noisy fans, the drums.)
The victory gives La Salle its first win over NU since Season 86 and puts them one game away from the title as they meet once again for Game 2 of the UAAP Season 88 Baseball Tournament Finals on Friday, April 17, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
