Liam De Vera seals comeback as La Salle outlasts UP in UAAP Baseball

De La Salle University completed a thrilling come-from-behind victory, shaking off a rough start to edge out the University of the Philippines, 6-5, on the opening day of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Baseball tournament on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

Trailing 4–5 at the start of the sixth inning, the Green Batters rallied, scoring in the next two innings. Second-year utility Liam De Vera then sealed the win with three decisive plays in the ninth and final inning, capping off a tense opener in the tournament, held in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission.

Pio Villamiel reached first base on a walk from UP reliever Ram Matanguihan, before Tuting Samuel put two runners on with a single to shortstop. An error by third baseman VJ Mangahas on an attempt to retire Marco Flores — batting for Marco Tantuico — allowed Villamiel to score the tying run.

De Vera then drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, bringing home Yuan Sumague, who had earlier reached first on another fielding error by Fighting Maroons captain Nano Asuncion.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

“Sabi ko nga, ‘yan nga umi-score agad sa first inning; may game plan na rin kami do’n. Kapag first inning, umi-score ng ganyan, dapat every inning bumawi tayo kahit isa-isang run,” said long-time head coach Joseph Orillana.

“Ang ano ko lang sa kanila ay tiwala rin, meron talaga ako do’n na game plan talaga.”

Villamiel and Ezy Bautista delivered timely hits, finishing with two hits and one RBI each, while Samuel also contributed two hits to DLSU’s cause.

Peter Nonaillada, one of the Green Batters’ seniors, earned the win after limiting UP to just one run over 4.2 innings. He then handed the ball to De Vera to close out the game.

DLSU, runners-up to National University for the past two seasons, will look to build on this momentum when it faces University of Santo Tomas in Sunday’s second game of the tripleheader.

“Siguro, mabawasan ‘yung errors. And at the same time ‘yung kumpyansa nga sa laro. ‘Yung mga situation na nasa kanila na ‘yung chance, kailangan magawa nila ‘yung hitting nila, ‘yung fielding nila. ‘Yung mga gano’n ba,” added Orillana on what he hopes to see from the Green Batters moving forward.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

The Fighting Maroons started strong, scoring four runs in the first inning, fueled by hits from Mangahas and Aaron Nicha that brought home LM Basañes and Kobe Torres. Asuncion and Mangahas also scored on an error by De Vera.

De Vera, however, made up for the early lapse, recording the final three outs to secure the win.

National team standout Kobe Torres paced UP with two hits and one RBI, but Daniel Badrina could not contain DLSU’s late surge during his 3.2 innings on the mound. That forced Matanguihan to step in to salvage the game.

The Diliman-based squad will aim for redemption against reigning champions NU in Sunday’s curtain-raiser at 7:00 AM.