| SCOREBOARD |
| FINAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
| NU (1-2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| DLSU (3-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
The De La Salle University Lady Batters, last place finishers in the UAAP Softball tournament for the past four seasons, soundly defeated the back-to-back 2nd place finishers, the National University Lady Bulldogs, in a 5th inning 8-1 mercy rule win last Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
NU batter Whell Nietes opened up the scoring in the 2nd inning of the game. A double by Nietes started the top of the inning. Then an errant catch by DLSU 3rd baseman Venessa Borbon led to a Nietes run to put NU up 1-0. A Patricia Belarmino run in the bottom of the 2nd inning tied the game for the Lady Batters of Taft. The green-side then took the lead for good in the 3rd inning with a run by Mary Joy Son coming from a Borbon RBI.
Excellent fielding by the DLSU Lady Batters resulted to the run-less innings for the Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Bulldogs almost had a chance to score in the 4th inning but a huge unassisted double play by DLSU shortstop Judy Ann Macatangay led to the ouster of Nietes and Charleslyn Tulalian.
The DLSU Lady Batters’ batting picked up in the 6th inning, accumulating five hits. Those hits led to six runs by Son, Mercy Arroyo, Borbon, Jamica Arribas, Belarmino, and Jen Gomez. The Lady Bulldogs shuffled pitchers but had no answer for the DLSU offense. Shaira Damasing, the back up to Mia Macapagal for the game, gave up four runs in the inning.
Belarmino led the DLSU Lady Batters with two runs and an RBI. Complimenting Belarmino were Son with two runs and Victoria Munoz with a hit and 2 RBI’s. DLSU pitcher Arribas gave up only a run and just three hits in the five innings she pitched.
The DLSU Lady Batters will next face the undefeated UE Lady Warriors on Saturday, February 7 while the NU Lady Bulldogs look to bounce back against the Adamson Lady Falcons in a rematch of last year’s UAAP finals also on February 7.
