Kiel Plaza’s homer highlights Adamson rout of Ateneo, takes share of third in UAAP Men’s Baseball

Adamson University exacted revenge on first-round tormentor Ateneo de Manila University in style, delivering a 13–1 thrashing for a second straight win and a share of third place in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Baseball Tournament, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

The Soaring Falcons exploded for six runs in the first two innings, holding off the Blue Eagles’ brief response in the bottom of the first, highlighted by Kiel Plaza’s second home run of the season.

The fourth-year Sports Science major’s solo shot to center field — his second against the same Ateneo side — followed an initial run by James Nisnisan, setting the tone for Adamson’s early 2–0 lead.

A lead-off triple from Kean Matanguihan sparked a series of walks and back-to-back hits from Nisnisan and Mark Simbajon, eventually growing the lead to 6–1 by the second inning.

Dan Bacalla and the defense then stamped their mark, holding Ateneo scoreless for the next eight innings.

Kean Matanguihan finished with two hits and two RBIs. His cousin, John Leonel, contributed to two runs — Nisnisan’s run in the first off a sacrifice hit and a fielder’s choice that sent John Mark Tupig home. He also drove in a lead-off single in the seventh before eventually scoring Adamson’s final run.

Bacalla was solid over eight innings, allowing just the lone Ateneo run in the first and giving up only five hits. Go then took over on the mound and, despite yielding one hit, successfully closed out the win.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

“Tama ka, kasi nga nag-deliver ang pitcher ko sa hitting, gano’n din lumabas. Sa depensa, [ilang] errors lang kami. Kumbaga, ito ang naging resulta. Maganda ang naging resulta,” said long-time head coach Lando Binarao on what changed in this game.

“’Yan lang din naman ang hinahanap naming mga coaches na kailangang work as a team kasi ‘pag naglaro ka nang maganda, nananalo. Team effort talaga.”

The Soaring Falcons and Blue Eagles now share third place with identical 3–3 win-loss records, just one game behind the De La Salle University Green Batters (4–1) and one game ahead of the University of Santo Tomas Golden Sox (2–4).

Adamson will face UST in their next assignment on Sunday, the final game of the schedule.

“Sa team kasi, kung hindi magtutulungan, hindi maganda ang result. So, sana, itong second round, makatuluy-tuloy ang ganitong resulta,” the concurrent national team head coach shared.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

The Blue Eagles managed to score one run in the first inning via a Daniel Fabella sacrifice fly to center field that brought home Luis Gabriel Magsadia, but five hits the rest of the way were not enough to keep the game close.

Four Ateneo pitchers attempted to slow down Adamson’s offense, but the seven earned runs Lucas Atentido absorbed proved to be more than enough cushion for the Soaring Falcons.

Ateneo will look to bounce back against rival De La Salle University on Sunday in the second game of the tripleheader.