Mhigeil Cerda had been quiet all game — grounders, pop-ups, and missed chances. But with the season on the line and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the University of Santo Tomas team captain delivered the swing of his life.
With two outs and the Golden Sox staring down elimination, Cerda laced a clutch two-RBI walk-off hit to right-center, lifting UST to a heart-stopping 12-11 comeback win over University of the Philippines, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The victory secured UST the third seed in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball Final Four, setting up a semifinals clash against the twice-to-beat second seed De La Salle University on Tuesday.
“Hindi pa tapos ang laban. Kung ang UP nakapasok ng apat ng two outs na, hindi imposibleng makapasok rin tayo ng runs kahit may two outs na basta huwag lang sumuko. Breaks of the game, nag-error ang kalaban, tapos hit ng captain ball kong si Cerda, siguro milagro ang nangyari,” said long-time UST head coach Jeff Santiago.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Down 9-7 heading into the ninth, UST saw their lead slip away when UP mounted a two-out, four-run rally in the top of the inning.
John Mark Natanawan, Razhley Santos, and Darren Mayo all reached base before LM Basañes blasted a bases-clearing hit to centerfield, later scoring himself on a throwing error to give the Fighting Maroons an 11-9 edge.
UST’s hopes dimmed further when Sean De Leon and Alwyn Piñero were quickly retired on groundouts to start the bottom half. UP was just one out away from punching its ticket to the Final Four.
But the Golden Sox refused to fold.
Cedrick Marquez drew a crucial walk and sprinted all the way home when John Vargas’ grounder was overthrown to first by third baseman VJ Mangahas, trimming the deficit to 10-11 and putting Vargas on third.
UP head coach Iking Jimenez then opted for an intentional walk on Season 85 MVP Justine Rosales and Prince Harry Geronimo to load the bases, putting the game in the hands of Cerda — who was hitless up to that point.
Cerda didn’t flinch. He drove a fly ball into the gap in right-center, bringing Vargas and Rosales home for the win, as the UST dugout erupted in celebration.
“Pinatunayan ko lang sa coaches and teammates ko kasi early game wala talaga akong palo, puro pop-up. Binigyan ako ng pagkakataon para bumawi. Ayun, na-execute ko,” said an emotional Cerda, still soaking in the moment after the game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Earlier, UP looked firmly in control with a commanding 7-1 lead, but UST clawed its way back behind Vargas, who smashed a three-run homer in the fifth inning to energize the Golden Sox.
Vargas led UST’s offense with two hits in three at-bats and four RBIs. Marquez also had a big game with three hits in four trips to the plate.
Jesus Cabigao pitched 8 2/3 gutsy innings for UST, striking out eight before Santiago brought in Geronimo to face a loaded-bases jam in the top of the ninth.
Despite the loss, UP still has a shot at the Final Four. The Fighting Maroons finished the eliminations at 4-6, tying Adamson University for fourth place. They’ll face off in a playoff on Saturday at 8:00 AM to determine who snags the last semifinal slot.
Reigning MVP Ian Mercado paced UP with four hits in the thriller.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 6 | ||||
| UST | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 4 |
