National University unleashed an early offensive onslaught to claim its fourth consecutive victory in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball tournament, defeating Ateneo de Manila University, 13-6, Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
Herald Tenorio smashed his second home run of the season, providing a highlight moment in the reigning champions’ dominant performance.
With this victory, the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to seven games, dating back to the second round of Season 86. Their last defeat came in a tightly contested 4-5 loss to the same Blue Eagles on February 29, 2024.
This time, NU secured back-to-back wins against Ateneo, following a 9-5 triumph in last season’s semifinals, and needed an early rally to get it done.
“Siguro kasi gano’n naman talaga ‘yung laro ng baseball eh; siyam na innings ang lalaruin. So, kailangan every inning ready ka makipagbakbakan. As I said, all the teams now are improving every game. Kailangan naming maging handa, especially we have targets on our backs,” said NU head coach Romar Landicho.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
After conceding five runs in the first two innings, the Bulldogs responded with a five-run surge at the bottom of the second.
Tenorio ignited the rally with a double down the left-field line before advancing to third on a passed ball. Jobert Gorpido, who was later granted a walk, put runners on the corners for Jerick Timban.
Timban then delivered a clutch triple to deep left field, driving in both Tenorio and Gorpido to trim the deficit to 4-5.
A combination of Bulldogs’ hits and Ateneo miscues allowed NU to plate two more runs, seizing a 7-5 lead — an advantage they would continue to build on for the rest of the game. Tenorio later punctuated the victory with his solo home run in the third inning.
Tenorio finished the game with two hits in four at-bats, including his second-inning double and third-inning homer, producing one RBI. Kevin Maulit also played a key role in NU’s comeback, recording two hits and driving in three runs.
On the mound, Gio Gorpido stepped up in place of reigning Best Pitcher Amiel De Guzman, who was rested after playing a batting role in NU’s previous win over University of Santo Tomas.
Gorpido settled down after a rough start, limiting Ateneo to just one more run in the fifth inning after giving up five in the first two. He closed out his six-inning stint on a strong note.
NU will aim for a first-round sweep when it faces De La Salle University (3-1) in a rematch of last season’s Finals on Wednesday.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
The Blue Eagles suffered their third defeat of the season after opening with a win against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (1-2) last Wednesday.
They will aim to close the opening round on a high note with a victory against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons (1-2) in next Wednesday’s curtain-raiser at 7:00 AM.
Ateneo started strong in the first two innings against Gorpido, with its first four batters reaching base via hits. However, it struggled to maintain its momentum in the following innings.
Alejandro Mendoza was the lone bright spot for last season’s bronze medalists, delivering two hits in the fifth and seventh innings, including the lone RBI in the fifth.
Joshua De Juras held his ground for the Blue Eagles on the mound but ultimately faltered, surrendering 10 runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work.
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ateneo | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||||||
| NU | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | x | 14 | 12 | 2 |
