Lucas Atentido anchors Ateneo’s defense vs UP in breakthrough UAAP Baseball victory

Ateneo de Manila University broke into the win column of the UAAP Season 87 Baseball Tournament with a thrilling 7-5 victory over University of the Philippines, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

The Blue Eagles leaned on the heroics of third-year left fielder Joshua De Juras and the solid pitching of rookie Lucas Atentido to pull off the win, tying them with the Fighting Maroons at 1-2 for fifth to sixth place.

Atentido, a product of PAREF Southridge School, endured 14 hits from UP but anchored the defense by limiting them to two earned runs in a complete-game effort.

His impressive outing reflected the emphasis on defensive adjustments made by Ateneo’s coaching staff, led by Bocc Bernardo, during the two-week break.

(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team

“Para sa’kin, ‘yung first two games were very far from the potential of the team. Most of my players kasi, ten of eleven of them are rookies, so it would take time for them to get used to the level sa UAAP. Sa two weeks na ‘yon, we tightened up our defense and made some adjustments sa lineup,” said Bernardo, a former catcher for the Blue Eagles.

Defense proved vital for Ateneo as UP threatened to turn the tide in the final two innings.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year Aaron Nicha and VJ Mangahas tried to ignite rallies in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. However, Ateneo’s outfield held firm to preserve the lead.

Center fielder Alejandro Mendoza denied reigning MVP Ian Mendoza his fourth hit of the day by snatching a high ball in the eighth inning, stranding Nicha and Eman Javier on base.

De Juras then stepped up defensively with two straight putouts off Razhley Santos and Kobe Torres in the ninth. Marvin Nalzaro, who replaced Kiel Agojo, grounded out to first baseman Daniel Fabella for the final out, securing Ateneo’s hard-fought victory.

The Blue Eagles built a 3-0 lead early, sparked by Angelo Bernardo’s hit to deep centerfield. An error by UP third baseman VJ Mangahas with Luis Magsadia at the plate and a hit-by-pitch incident involving Daniel Badrina and Alfonso Tueres loaded the bases.

Zeke Laygo then delivered a crucial looping hit down the right foul line, driving in two runs.

Laygo finished with one hit and two RBIs, while Luis Fabella added two more RBIs in the third inning to pad Ateneo’s lead.

Ateneo will aim for back-to-back wins when they face defending champions National University (2-0), who were playing at press time, in Sunday’s second game.

(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team

The loss overshadowed several strong offensive performances from the Fighting Maroons. Mangahas led the charge with four hits in five at-bats and one RBI. Reigning Best Hitter Mercado chipped in three hits, while Santos contributed two hits and one RBI.

Daniel Badrina absorbed his first loss of the season after surrendering seven runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings. Ram Matanguihan kept Ateneo scoreless the rest of the way, but UP’s attempted comeback fell short as they suffered their second consecutive defeat following an opening-day win.

UP will face Adamson University (1-1) in Sunday’s third game, while University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University will open the day’s action at 7:00 AM.