University of the Philippines snapped a four-game skid dating back to last year with a dominant 24–7, six-inning rout of University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
After a heavy loss to defending champions NU Bulldogs, the Fighting Maroons finally broke through the win column for the first time since April 13, 2025, and evened their tournament record with UST at 1–1. The tournament is held in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission.
Following a rough start — allowing four runs in the first inning — UP exploded for 10 runs in the second and never looked back, securing their breakthrough victory.
Back-to-back hits from VJ Mangahas and John Mark Natawan signaled the Fighting Maroons’ offensive surge.
Two consecutive walks issued by UST reliever Prince Harry Geronimo loaded the bases, setting up the first run.
Further hits from Aaron Nicha and Eman Javier, coupled with two additional UST fielding errors, turned that initial run into a six-run advantage, putting UP ahead 10–4.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Yung first two games talaga is talagang top teams eh, pero nakita ‘yung kaya ng mga bata. Ito na, kaunting pep talk, kaunting changes sa batting lineup, kaya ito, medyo maganda na ‘yung naging result,” said Iking Jimenez, now in his second year as head coach.
“Ang importante rito, nagiging matured na, pero mga bata talaga ‘tong players natin. Pero nakita mo na may potential talaga; kailangan lang nila ng teamwork. Darating tayo diyan.”
UP didn’t stop at a four-run cushion.
The Fighting Maroons added 14 more runs over the next four innings, putting the game well out of reach.
Javier finished with three hits and six RBIs, while Nicha also recorded three hits and drove in five runs. LM Basañes contributed three hits, two of which came in the latter innings.
Daniel Badrina relieved rookie Bokie Claro and stabilized the Fighting Maroons’ defense, limiting UST to just three more runs after taking the mound. The third-year pitcher struck out five batters in his stint.
UP will aim for back-to-back wins when they face Ateneo de Manila University in the third and final game of the series on Sunday.
“Ando’n na ‘yung teamwork, tulung-tulong lang talaga. Yung pitchers na nakita niyo naman, si Badrina, ang ganda ng pinukol. Yung pitcher natin na rookie, si Claro, first batter na strikeout niya, pero nawala sa focus. So, kaunting adjustment pa, usap pa sa mga rookies,” added Jimenez.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
UST got off to a dream start with four runs in the opening inning, capitalizing on rookie Claro’s nerves in his UAAP debut.
A single from Marvin Trillana put additional pressure on UP’s defense, which eventually allowed three more runs off a Ybbrahim Degollacion hit.
No Thomasian batter had more than one hit, with Trillana the lone contributor of runs, driving in three.
Four UST pitchers tried to halt the Fighting Maroons’ offense, but their efforts fell short, with Cedrick Marquez taking the brunt of the scoring after allowing 14 runs.
The Golden Sox will aim to bounce back against the Bulldogs in Sunday’s second game, following the opener between Adamson Soaring Falcons and DLSU Green Batters at 7:00 AM.
| TEAMS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UP | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | x | x | x | 24 | 15 | 3 | |
| UST | 4 | 2 | 1 | x | x | x | 7 | 5 | 12 |
