University of the Philippines advanced to a playoff for a spot in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Baseball Final Four after a dominant 17–5, seven-inning rout of Adamson University on the final day of eliminations, Easter Sunday, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
After going relatively quiet in their previous game against the University of Santo Tomas Golden Sox, the Fighting Maroons erupted for 18 hits in this do-or-die matchup, led by third-year right fielder Eman Javier, who collected three hits and three RBIs.
Needing a win to extend their season, UP broke the game open with six runs in the second inning to take a 7–0 lead. Javier drove in his second hit of the game in the same frame, scoring rookies Chinelle Manabat and Jhon Musa for the team’s third and fourth runs.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
LM Basañes carried the momentum through the fourth to sixth innings, contributing three hits that fueled a nine-run barrage, effectively sealing the victory for the Diliman-based squad.
Kobe Torres added three more hits, but it was UP’s solid defense that ultimately secured their playoff appearance for the fourth and final semifinals spot for a third consecutive season.
Rookie pitcher Bokie Claro delivered a complete-game effort, allowing only five earned runs on eight hits from Adamson.
“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, tapos na ’yung game natin against UST, but that doesn’t mean na tapos na ‘yung season. Meron pa tayong isang game sa season. Ibuhos na natin, tingnan natin kung ano ang magiging outcome nito. Nakita ko naman nag-step up lahat; pitching-wise talaga nag-tight ‘yung back niya, medyo binigay na rin,” said head coach Iking Jimenez, whose side bounced back from a 14–5 defeat in the first round.
The Adamson Soaring Falcons, UP Fighting Maroons, and UST Golden Sox all finished with 4–6 win-loss records.
Adamson, however, secured the third seed in the Final Four by virtue of a superior head-to-head record, following an elimination round sweep of UST and their first-round win over UP.
The Fighting Maroons and the Golden Sox will contest the remaining Final Four berth on Wednesday, while the Soaring Falcons are set to face the second-ranked team in the semifinals later the same day.
With UP entering another playoff, coach Jimenez hopes the third time will be the charm for his squad.
“Di namin basta ibibigay hardworking yung team na to, talented yung team na to. Tignan natin kung ano magiging outcome pero lalaban kami,” said Jimenez, now in his second year as head coach.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
National University and De La Salle University, both currently holding 7–2 win-loss records, are still in action at the time of writing. The winner will claim the top seed, while the loser faces Adamson in the Final Four.
James Nisnisan kept Adamson’s hopes alive with a fifth-inning triple to left field that scored Zerge Madarimot, but the San Marcelino-based squad’s eight hits were too few to mount a comeback.
Five Adamson pitchers tried to stifle the Fighting Maroons’ offense, but Christian Basan bore the brunt of a four-run inning after issuing three walks in the fifth. Dan Rommel Bacalla absorbed the loss after the team could not recover from the early 7–0 deficit.
| TEAMS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | x | x | 17 | 18 | ||
| AdU | 1 | 2 | 2 | x | x | 5 | 8 | 4 |
