| TEAMS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| UST (0-1) | 1 | 1 | X | X | 2 | 5 | 4 | |||||
| ADMU (1-0) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | X | X | X | 12 | 14 | 1 |
The redemption tour of the Ateneo Blue Eagles has officially started.
After failing to win a fourth straight crown a season ago, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles started off its new campaign in dominant fashion, handing the University of Santo Tomas Golden Sox a comprehensive beatdown, 12-2 abb. 7th, Sunday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Coming into UAAP Season 79, the batters from Katipunan are arguably the most prepared team in the league, winning the Hong Kong International Baseball Open in December and playing against Korean teams in Subic a month ago.
“From December, when we played in Hong Kong [Invitational and in Subic, playing the Korean teams, kailangan maging flawless ka unti-unti,” Ateneo Baseball program director Randy Dizer said.
And it showed right from the get-go with the team’s lead-off batters leading the way.
Radito Banzon opened the game with a single in what would be a perfect hitting game for left fielder. Then right at the first pitch, Marco Mallari knocked off an over-the-fence home run against Ron Dela Cruz to immediately put Ateneo on the scoreboard.
Banzon went 4-of-4 at-bat, punching a run everytime he went on plate. Mallari went 3-of-4, helping pave the way for five runs.
“They are really my veterans now. The way they are hitting, the way they are fielding. You might be suprised but you might see [Marco] Mallari pitching [later in the season],” Dizer remarked about the two.
On the other end, ace pitcher Paulo Macasaet (1-0) held the fort for the Blue Eagles. The third-year Atenean pitched six innings, striking out seven batters and allowing just four hits.
“He is the leader of my pitching staff. The team grows around him as of now. The way if is playing right now, he is there,” Dizer said about the older Macasaet.
“I’m confident that he will be there and sana magtuloy-tuloy yun. What happened last year, won’t happen this year.”
However, the multi-titled mentor still saw lapses in the Blue Eagles’ game. And it was exemplified during a fielding indecision by the team during the second inning UST’s Christian Angeles score one of two runs the Golden Sox logged in.
“Those kinds of errors, in a close game, you’re dead. Kailangan pa linisin yung game,” he shared.
Ateneo was able to connect 14 times in the game, hitting against lefty pitcher Lesmar Ventura (0-1) seven times — scoring on all during the second and third innings. UST used four pitchers in the game.
“Siguro yung favor nasa kalaban, tapos yung pitchers namin yun yung nagdown sa amin,” Golden Sox team captain Max Mercado lamented. “Yung mga pitchers na inaasahan namin hindi nag-click tapos yung inaaasagang pitch nila hindi na bigay ng maayos.”
The Ateneo Blue Eagles will next face the NU Bulldogs (1-0) on Wednesday, February 8 in the final game of the day. UST, on the other hand, opens the day against defending champions DLSU Green Batters.
