National University relied on three explosive innings to topple De La Salle University, 14–4, completing a sweep of the first round of eliminations in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Baseball tournament on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
The Bulldogs dominated the first round, scoring 52 runs while conceding just 16, en route to five straight victories in this tournament, conducted in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission.
The defending champions knew their Finals rivals of the past two seasons would be eager to strike back, so they made sure to capitalize on every offensive opportunity.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
A two-run lead extended to six after the fifth inning, and from there, NU powered on, maintaining its perfect record for the season.
Up by just two after scoring three in the second inning, the Bulldogs added two more runs off a Kiel Olazo single to left field, driving in Julius Cesar Soriano and Gio Gorpido. Another single, this time from Jherick Timban, brought in NU’s third run, followed by a run off a passed ball.
“We respect the La Salle team talaga and nag-prepare talaga kami para sa game na ‘to. Alam namin na pupukpok sila, so mentally talagang nag-prepare talaga kami rito,” said head coach Romar Landicho.
“I think we have a solid team kasi; yung mentality ng team, iisa ‘yung gustong gawin talaga. And ‘yon naman ‘yung importante sa isang team para makuha lagi ‘yung panalo,” he added, reflecting on his team’s performance in the round.
Kenneth Maulit handled the remaining innings, finishing with three hits and four RBIs to lead the reigning back-to-back champions. Meanwhile, Timban and Olazo contributed two hits each, with Olazo driving in three runs.
Gab Francisco was quiet at the plate with just one hit, but his performance on the mound made a difference. He allowed only three earned runs off six hits in the four innings he pitched.
Landicho and the defending champions now brace for tougher competition in the second round, hoping to maintain their consistency.
“Hindi pa ‘to tapos; marami pang trabaho. Siguro, we will push para makuha namin ‘yung three-peat,” he said.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
La Salle struggled to recover from the deficit, managing just two runs from the fourth to the eighth innings. Yuan Sumague’s two hits in the fifth and sixth innings came too late to make an impact, while Liam De Vera’s second hit and Barry Oñas’ lone single failed to spark a rally.
Renato Samuel carried much of the workload both offensively and defensively, recording three hits and one RBI, but it was overshadowed by the seven runs allowed off six hits.
The Green Batters finished the first round in second place with a 3–2 record, narrowly ahead of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, who sit at 2–3.
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NU | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | x | 14 | 13 | 1 |
| DLSU | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 4 | 9 | 2 |
