University of Santo Tomas survived Ateneo de Manila University in a marathon 29-run thriller, 17-12, to claim its third win in the UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament on Thursday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.
The Golden Sox, who also won the two squads’ most recent encounter in Season 85, moved to a share of the lead with holders De La Salle University Green Batters at 3-1.
“Masaya ako na hindi bumitaw ‘yung mga bata. Maganda yung palo nila ngayon kaya nanalo kami against Ateneo,” said long-time UST head coach Jeff Santiago after his team closed out the four-hour-and-20-minute tussle.
With a precarious two-run advantage at 12-10 heading into its offensive side of the eighth inning, the España-based side put in five runs in the said inning to restore a seven-run cushion laced with three huge hits.
Catcher Timothy Caldo drove in his lone hit of the day, which was a triple to deep right field to score left-fielder Mhigeil Cerda.
Another triple, this time from third baseman and lead-off batter John Reymond Vargas, sent Caldo home before Vargas himself scored on a wild pitch from Ateneo substitute pitcher Joshua De Juras.
Jesus Cabigao put the game way out of the Blue Eagles’ reach with his fifth hit of the game — a double to centerfield — sent right-fielder Jester Tapia and reigning MVP Justine Rosales back to the plate as the score reached 17-10.
Ateneo cut the deficit to two thrice in the game after going down with a huge 0-7 hole with the rousing fightback in the third and fourth innings overhauling that said deficit.
Second baseman Javi Limpo finished with four hits in five at-bats, two of which came in the third and fourth frames. However, two hits from Limpo alone in the next four innings would not cut it out, as the Blue Eagles absorbed their second loss after back-to-back victories.
Harry Geronimo stood his ground for UST after his early insertion into the game for the starter Raniel Jay Carido, keeping the Ateneo bat at a murmur with seven hits and fanning ten batters in the process.
The Blue Eagles slipped to an even 2-2 record, along with the National University Bulldogs, sitting in third and fourth places.
The Lines:
UST 7 0 0 4 1 0 0 5 0 – 17 18 5
Ateneo 2 0 3 4 0 1 0 0 2 – 12 7 2
