National University pulled off a defensive clinic to stop erstwhile co-leader University of Santo Tomas, 6-1, on the last day of the UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament’s opening round, Sunday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.
The Bulldogs pulled the Golden Sox to a provisional share of second place at 3-2 behind holders De La Salle University Green Batters, who are at 3-1 and have a game at hand later in the evening.
Amiel De Guzman provided the anchor on the defense for NU, limiting the otherwise potent offense of UST to one run despite allowing 10 hits in a no-relief job on the mound.
The Bustillos-based squad also extricated themselves from dangerous scoring opportunities for the Golden Sox, stranding six runners while pulling off three huge double plays in the third, fifth, and eighth innings.
“Nakita namin kasi sa stats ng teams na isa kami sa best defense, kaya pinatunayan lang namin ‘yun ngayon. Kumbaga nagkatapat kami ng UST (na best offense) at kami ‘yung umangat,” said first-year head coach Romar Landicho of the win.
Up by just three runs to zip entering the eighth inning, the Bulldogs added three more runs in the frame to consolidate their impressive stop of the Golden Sox.
Two base hits from opposing sides from Kevin Maulit and Herald Tenorio put runners on the bases.
A sacrifice hit from Kenneth Maulit scored his twin brother for the 4-0 lead.
John Kiel Olazo then drove in a huge triple that clipped the left line to send Tenorio and Kenneth Maulit home for the comfortable 6-0 cushion.
UST got one back with a Steven Dominguez hit leading to a run from Mark Joseph Cabase, but it was all the side could manage as they slipped to a 3-2 win-loss slate.
The Lines:
UST 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 1 10 4
NU 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 3 x – 6 5 1
