Adamson University needed just four innings against De La Salle University, pulling off a convincing, abbreviated 13-0 win its second straight win in as many games in the continuing first-round action at the UAAP Season 86 Softball tournament on Saturday at the UP Baseball Field.
The reigning, 10-peat-seeking champions leaned on an impressive hitting barrage in the third inning to turn a 5-0 margin to a 13-0 bubble to bag the share of the lead with fellow Season 85 finalists University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
Senior designated player Krishna Cantor started it off with his second hit of the night — a triple to the left field before eventually scoring with substitute right-fielder Roma Jane Cruz sending the ball to almost the same area on a sacrifice fly.
From there, three more hits turned into six more runs against DLSU pitchers Joerjette Jordan and Kristina Reyes. Cantor then returned to bat to put on the finishing touches with a no less than an inside-the-park home run.
“Actually, I’m impressed sa hitting nila tonight and sabi ko nga, sana magtuluy-tuloy. Ang sabi ko rin sa kanila, huwag silang sobrang ma-kumpyansa. Tuluy-tuloy lang ‘yung ginagawa namin at tuloy sa pag-analyze kung ano ‘yung kaya pa naming ayusin,” said Adamson head coach Ana Santiago.
Cantor finished with a perfect three-on-three clip with a single, a triple, and the season’s first home run while scoring two of the 13 runs of the Lady Falcons. Madelaine Domauag also added two hits of the remaining nine on her three at-bats.
Reigning Best Pitcher Glory Alonzo made her Season 86 debut with one strikeout in the seven batters she faced before ceding the mound to Jane Sigue and last game’s starter April Minanga who finished the game with no hits.
Earlier in the day, the Fighting Maroons blanked next-door neighbors Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, 6-0, with second-year pitcher Diane Pasco pacing the former’s defense.
Pasco allowed two hits from the 11 batters she faced to set the tone for the home side’s turn on the offense.
Seven Fighting Maroons had three hits each, but the triples each from senior second baseman Algrace Adajar and second-year third baseman Jamm’n Joyce Rasco proved the difference in starting the game off and closing it out, respectively.
The Lady Green Batters and the Blue Eagles remain winless after two games.
The Lines:
Ateneo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 4 3
UP 3 0 0 1 1 1 x – 6 7 2
AdU 2 3 8 0 x x x – 13 12 1
DLSU 0 0 0 0 x x x – 0 0 4
