The plan of the De La Salle University Green Batters for Game Two of the UAAP Season 81 Baseball Finals was to turn it into their coronation. It was supposed to be a grand celebration for their dominant season that saw them whitewash opponents in the second round.
But the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles had other plans.
Behind a sensational outing by third-year pitcher Miggy Angeles and the red-hot batting of Javi Macasaet and Gino Tantuico, the Blue Eagles stunned the Green Batters, 7-3.
For graduating second baseman Boo Barandiaran, he admitted that they had been too overeager to finish off the series.
“Personally, I treated it as a regular game.
“Well, just like the first game, we treated this game as a must-win. We were eager but we were too eager. That is why we didn’t play the way we wanted to. But we definitely wanted it, and it just went to Ateneo,” the La Salle Green Hills product shared.
Barandiaran delivered for the Green Batters, going 3-of-4 at-bat for a run and an RBI. However, the rest of the squad could not connect in succession.
Though they were able to connect nine times in the contest – two less than their entire Game One output – 11 La Salle batters were left stranded.
“Too eager. We weren’t choosing the right pitch to swing on, just too excited,” he rued.
Come Friday, the Green Batters can’t afford to play the same if they want Barandiaran, Paulo Salud, Kiko Gesmundo, Tuwi Park, Joaquin Bilbao, and Gabo Pineda to have a golden ending.
And the UAAP Season 78 Finals Most Valuable Player vows they would not let up this time around.
“For Friday, it’s a do or die. We are going to put everything on the line.”
