UP survives UST scare; Adamson unscathed

University of the Philippines (UP) survived University of Santo Tomas (UST) scare and Ateneo won by the mercy rule yesterday to tie for the lead after the first round of the UAAP men’s baseball tournament at the Rizal Memorial diamond.

In women’s softball Saturday at the UST field, Adamson University went 4-0 also after the first round of hostilities following an 11-6 rout of UP. The Lady Falcons actually had to rally past the Lady Maroons, who smelled a kill over the defending champions when they led, 6-3, after two innings.

But the Lady Falcons could not be denied and uncorked four runs at the bottom third built on Nelsa Delagente’s grand slam — a rare feat by the Lady Falcon — which was aided by an illegal pitch from UP starter Dione Macasu.

UP ran second after the first round with three wins and one loss, followed by UST with 2-2 and University of the East (UE), which barged into the win column for a 1-3 card at the expense of the Lady Eagles, 16-3 (five innings).

UST exploded with five runs at the top of the seventh inning to send shivers down the defending champion Maroons, who scored at least a run in each of the first seven innings except for the opening and seventh frames.

But the championship experience of the batters from Diliman prevailed over the same team that challenged them for the title last season. The Maroons are now 3-1 (won-lost ) after the first round, the same slate as that of the idle Ateneo Blue Eagles, who mercilessly shut down the Soaring Falcons of Adamson, 12-1, in five innings also yesterday.

The Tigers are now 2-2 overall and are in the middle of the field ahead of Adamson and National University, which tote 1-3 records apiece.

"Bumabalik na ang laro namin. Lumalaban na kami ngayon. Buo na muli ang team. Ready na sila," said UP head coach Emerson Barandoc.

UP was ahead, 8-1, when UST sparked a rally behind Angelo Castillo’s one-run single and catcher Jake Cumlat scoring on a catching error by UP’s third baseman in the seventh inning. With bases loaded still in the seventh frame, shortstop Ace Baquiran hit a three-run double that sent Israel Ona, Jon-jon Robles and Marc Castillo home plate for an 8-6 count.

But that was the closest the Tigers could get as the Maroons kept their poise on defense by keeping UST scoreless in the next two innings.