Ateneo clobbers La Salle, 8-4, in UAAP baseball
Saturday, 28 January 2012 00:00
AN outhit Ateneo side clobbered La Salle, 8-4, Thursday and completed its amazing run that handed the Blue Eagles a rare feat of hurdling all their first round assignments in the 27th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) baseball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark. The Eagles, who could only managed seven hits off the Green Archers' hurler Carlos Munoz, made the most out of those by translating them into runs in scoring their fifth straight victory that glued them at the top of the six-team standing going into the lower half of the two-round tournament. Coach Emerson Barandoc's boys could only tag the fastball throwing Munoz with a pair hits at the bottom of the second inning, but thanks to the Archers' listless defense, the Eagles produced four runs in soaring to a 4-0 lead. The Hail Mary nine also had a hit each in the sixth and eighth frames, but saw four of their runners crossing the plate in those occasions turning what started as a close contest into a complete rout.
Coach Alex Estipular's Archers, on the other hand, connected 10 times off the combined efforts of Dylan Tantuico and Adriane Bernardo but just couldn't translate these into needed markers sending runners home only once each at the bottom of the first and second and twice in the fourth inning. The loss though was the Archers' only second in five games as they remained close to the leaders and hope to comeback strong in the next round and realize a dream match against their basketball arch-rival for the title. But unless Ateneo again sweeps the second phase to automatically snatch the crown without going through the playoff. Tournament format awards the championship outright to a team that ends up undefeated after two rounds. "Sana nga magtuloy-tuloy na para hindi na magdaan sa playoff," the 40-year-old Barandoc who started his coaching Job at the University of the Philippines before transferring to neighboring Ateneo, said. "Medyo mabigat-bigat na kalaban kasi ang La Salle sa tingin ko."
Estipular, for his part, said he and the Archers will try to bounce back to beat the Eagles in their second meeting and hope to win, too, their remaining assignments to forge a title showdown with the Katipunan-based Eagles. "Me second round pa naman, Sana makabawi at makalaban sila sa pinaka-importanteng laro, ang championship," he added. "Me laban pa sana kasi isa lang ang lamang going into the eighth inning. Sumabog." Estipular was referring to a 5-4 Ateneo advantage after seven completed innings until Munoz and his team's defense completely collapsed against the Eagles harassing play. PNA
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