UST softbelles reach eight mile
By Anthony Divinagracia
07 February 2010 10:10 AM
Manila, Philippines - Their batting cannons jammed in the first inning.
Good thing Aiza dela Torre’s pitching rifle was on target.
With their immaculate record on the line, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses banked on their veteran hurler’s defensive composure and a three-run splurge in the second frame to nip an upset-conscious Ateneo de Manila University, 3-2, and move two victories short of automatically clinching the 72nd UAAP women’s softball title last Saturday at the UST field.
Dela Torre completed UST’s fightback from 0-2 down after emphatically retiring three Ateneo batters including Giana Banzon and Isabel Cang in the crucial seventh inning to bail the Tigresses out of trouble and remain on top with a perfect 8-0 mark. Ateneo meanwhile fell to 4-4.
The diminutive UST skipper yielded only 2 runs, 4 hits, and 4 base-on-balls to eclipse Ateneo counterpart Beda Lao, who surrendered 6 hits for the Tigresses in six innings of pitching.
“I must confess, our level of play was below-par today. Masyado nagkumpyansa ang mga bata at nataong maganda depensa ng kalaban,” UST coach Sandy Barredo said. “Buti na lang na-hold off ni Aiza (dela Torre) ‘yung mga batters ng Ateneo.
“I’m still expecting my big hitters to connect to make things easier for us,” Barredo added, referring to Lilet Arago, Karen Panghubasan, Tresha Rodriguez and Melanie Laserna, who all failed to score a run against Ateneo’s superb fielding and base marking throughout the contest.
Ateneo lit up the charts early in the first inning as Cang and Tiffany Mathay crossed the plate with minimal fuss.
But the Tigresses suddenly waxed hot in the second as Angelique Benjamin sparked a three-run tear, homing in off a second-base steal before Rodriguez propelled Dela Torre and Lani Sarmiento on board to card the final outcome of the match.
The Lady Eagles had a chance to stay with the Tigresses in the last inning but Marianna Vargas gambled her first-base positioning and went for an ill-advised creeper at second base which Rodriguez ably checked, before Dela Torre closed the affair by striking out Cang.
In the first game, University of the East (UE) used a five-run assault to post a 10-3 walkover against the faltering University of the Philippines (UP).
UST tries to chalk up win no. 9 at 11 a.m. on Wednesday when it battles UP before facing archrival Adamson University on February 13.
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historic sweep
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safe or out?
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eyes on the ball
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run Lady Eagle run
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check out the action between the UP & Adamson on the diamond
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softball dance
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