Eagles overcome fancied Bulldogs

Game tomorrow (Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium)

10 a.m. – UST vs NU (rubbermatch for softball finals)

Game on Tuesday

9 a.m. softball finals

12 noon – AdMU vs NU (baseball finals, Game Two)

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo banked on the hot batting of Matt Laurel and Ryon Tionloc to hammer out a come-from-behind 6-2 triumph over holder National U and close in on the UAAP Season 75 baseball crown yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Laurel blasted a solo home run in the seventh inning to highlight a three-for-four batting that went with two runs and one RBI while Tionloc went two-for-four and delivered a run as the Blue Batters fought back from a 0-2 deficit and drew first blood in the best-of-three title series.

The Blue Batters will gun for their first-ever baseball diadem in Tuesday’s Game Two, also at the Rizal ballpark.

“I told the boys we already knew how to beat NU, as shown by our two victories against them in the eliminations, so let’s just stick to our winning formula against them,” said Ateneo coach Emerson Barandoc in Filipino.

“Eventually our pitching got better and our batters, especially Laurel and Tionloc, connected, “ he added.

With NU enjoying a 2-0 lead, Ateneo made its move in the sixth inning with a three-run spree off two hits and a catching error by NU.

Laurel, who started with a double, reached home off a sacrifice fly by Kevin Ramos to put Ateneo on the scoreboard. Tionloc slammed a basehit and then the Ateneans pounced on a catching error by NU centerfielder Marcial Gante to put two runners in for a 3-2 margin.

The 22-year-old Laurel let fly a round-tripper in the seventh to extend ADMU’s lead to two runs, 4-2, before Gabriel Bagamasbad drove Tionloc home with a single and Pelos Remollo reached the plate off Adriane Bernardo’s sacrifice in the eighth to put the finishing touches to the win.

Miguel Salud hurled a seven-hitter and extinguished six batters in a no-relief job for ADMU.

In softball action, Santo Tomas turned back National U, 8-5, to force a rubbermatch for the right to face defending champion Adamson in the finals.