Kobe Torres anchored University of the Philippines’ defense in a much-needed 7-2 victory over University of Santo Tomas, securing their second win in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball tournament, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
The Fighting Maroons learned a tough lesson from their suspended game against Adamson University last Sunday, where they squandered a sizable lead. This time, they tightened up on defense to improve to an even 2-2 record, tying Adamson for third place.
“Every time na kinakausap namin ‘tong mga ‘to, motivation lang eh. Tulad na nangyari nga no’n na ang laki ng lead, parang naging confident sila na mananalo na. Dapat hindi gano’n ang attitude ng team. Ang dapat, start strong and finish strong; at nakita ko naman from the start up to the finish, nag-step up na rin,” said UP head coach Iking Jimenez.
“Sana magtuluy-tuloy pa rin — na hangga’t hindi pa tapos ang game, hangga’t hindi pa tapos ang three outs, walang kampante gaano man kalaki ang lead.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
And this time, with Torres at the helm, the Fighting Maroons made sure to secure the final three outs to claim the hard-earned win.
Torres, a national team standout, kept UST at bay with precise pitching, allowing the defense to clean up the outs with ease. Third baseman Axl Vispo set the tone by catching a foul fly ball from Ybbrahim Degollacion.
Left fielder Daniel Badrina followed with a catch on Sean De Leon’s drive.
UST managed to get a runner on base after Mhigeil Cerda drew a walk, but UP captain Ian Mercado put the game away with a catch on yet another fly ball from Steven Dominguez.
Torres, a third-year pitcher from First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities, delivered a stellar no-relief outing, limiting the Golden Sox to just seven hits and one earned run while stranding eight UST runners.
The Fighting Maroons complemented their defensive effort with a strong offensive showing, racking up 11 hits.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Aaron Nicha and reigning MVP Mercado led the charge with three hits and one RBI each, while Torres contributed two hits of his own.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, UST closed the first round with a 1-4 record, tying Ateneo de Manila University for fifth place.
The Golden Sox had a golden opportunity to mount a comeback in the seventh inning when De Leon and Mhiegeil Cerda opened with back-to-back hits, leading to a run that trimmed the deficit to five, 2-7.
But Emman Cahilo and Mercado swiftly shut the door, snagging crucial fly balls off the bats of Marquez and Jesus Cabigao to left and center field, respectively, ending the inning and effectively sealing the win.
Cabigao bore the brunt of UP’s early offensive explosion, surrendering five runs off eight hits in four innings before giving way to Prince Harry Geronimo.
While Geronimo managed to cool down UP’s bats, allowing just two runs on three hits, UST’s offense failed to provide the needed support, sealing their fate.
