In a pitching battle between Kikay Palma and KC Valino, it was the former’s University of Santo Tomas who edged out erstwhile undefeated University of the Philippines in the slimmest of margins, 1-0, for a bounce back win in the UAAP Season 86 Softball tournament on Wednesday at the UP Baseball Field.
The Tiger Softbelles, who ended third last season, finally got one back against the Fighting Maroons after taking two setbacks in the two meetings they had the previous year.
UST and UP are now level at 2-1 in second place behind reigning champions Adamson University who are at immaculate 3-0.
After getting limited to four hits in the game against the Lady Falcons, the Tiger Softbelles produced just one more hit but the timing of the hits was the game-changer against the home side.
“Nag-off kami against Adamson eh, pero confident naman ako sa mga bata regarding sa hitting nila. Yung hitting nila compared the game before, medyo nag-connect ngayon,” said Tiger Softbelles head coach Sandy Barredo.
The biggest hit of the game came from left fielder Erika Fernandez in the third inning—a triple to UP centerfielder Angei Pascual, who couldn’t reach it in time. A sacrifice fly to the same area from senior third baseman Charlotte Sales then scored Fernandez, putting UST up 1-0.
The run turned out to be the game’s lone score, as the rest of the evening became a battle between the squads’ respective pitchers: Kikay Palma of the España-based side and Kacelyn Valino of the hosts.
Palma had the better of Valino, as the RP Blu Girls upstart only got breached by a UP hit twice, fanning four batters in the process, including the first out in the seventh and final inning.
In the other game, Adamson dominated Ateneo in a 13-0 abbreviated win for the 11-peat-seeking squad’s third consecutive win this season, remaining on top of the table.
Leading by just five, 5-0, heading into the top of the fourth inning, the Lady Falcons found their hitting stride in that inning, scoring nine to put the game to rest.
Lead-off batter Angelu Gabriel paced the offense with three hits on four at-bats, while second baseman MJ Maguad drove in a triple to fuel the fourth-inning explosion for Adamson.
The Lines:
AdU 1 2 1 9 x x x – 13 11 1
Ateneo 0 0 0 0 x x x – 0 0 2
UST 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 – 1 5 3
UP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 2 1
