This appears in ateneo.edu
Bulldogs
even it up to book a Game Three
by rick olivares
February 26, 2012
Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium
The National University Bulldogs
feasted on the early pitching of Ateneo’s Adriane Bernardo in the early innings
then held off the Blue Batters’ late charge for a 5-2 win to send the UAAP
Baseball Finals to a decisive Game Three.
Both starting pitchers for the two
teams – NU’s Aries Oruga and Ateneo’s Bernardo – did not have their stuff but
it was the Bulldogs who made the Blue Eagles pay for the bad pitching and
failure to stop their aggression on the base paths.
Oruga wasn’t 100% after his recent
injury in the match against UST while Bernardo was pitching on three days’
rest. But NU did it on the offensive end as their hit and run tactics and base
running tested the arm of Ateneo catcher Dio Remollo as well short stop Charles
Catangui and second baseman Kevin Ramos. The Bulldogs were 7-1 in steals and
were up 4-0 after four and a half innings.
In the second inning, designated
hitter Mark Elic and short stop Ram Alipio got on base with a double and a walk
respectively. As Bernardo unloaded a pitch to left fielder Herxel Fortunato,
Alipio took off for second base. Remollo tired to gun him down but the ball
went through Ateneo shortstop Charles Catangui. Elic easily dashed for home;
1-0 NU.
At the top of the third inning, NU
first baseman Aprix Santos had two RBIs when his hit Bernardo’s second pitch
into the gap between second and third for a 3-0 lead.
Prior to the start of the fourth
inning, Bernardo looked up high to the sky as if to implore for help as he had
thrown 54 pitches in the first three innings. But the Game One winner’s misery
continued as NU second baseman Jezeel Rosita added a RBI single to make it 4-0.
After Rosita’s hit, Ateneo coach Emer
Barandoc took the ball from Bernardo’s glove and handed the pitching reigns to
Tantuico (while Bernardo moved over to short stop while Kevin Ramos shifted
over to second base).
Tantuico proceeded to pitch three and
2/3 innings of shut out ball as his power pitching baffled the NU batters.
With Ateneo steadier on the mound, the
Blue Batters’ bats came alive. Tantucio followed his fourth inning of relief
with a towering home run to left field (some 315 feet) for a run. An inning
later, Catangui hit a RBI single to make it 4-2.
Ateneo had two chances to overhaul the
lead when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and the ninth
innings but Tantuico popped out and Bocc Bernardo struck out respectively.
Obviously bothered by his crucial out
at the bottom of the seventh, Tantuico’s pitching suffered and he walked Elic
in a bases loaded situation on the top of the ninth to give NU a 5-2 lead that
the Bulldogs would hold on to the end.
When Tantuico took the mound, he not
only silenced the NU bats but also their loud and vociferous bench with a
display of power pitching. But the Blue Batters inability to get the big hit
(they stranded 14 runners) did them in.
“We didn’t get the job done,” said a
concerned Matt Laurel, Ateneo’s third baseman who was also instrumental in
stopping the bleeding of the first four innings with his defense. After Rosita’s
RBI single in the fourth, he threw out Fortunato at first and tagged out Alipio
who was off the bag after he caught a one hopper by NU third baseman Johndel
Tolosa to end the fourth inning. “Now we have to really focus on getting the
job done. But it’s going to be tough because it’s an exam week for us. But no
excuses. We will just have to get it done.”
Oruga pitched a complete game to get
the win for NU. Bernardo lost his second game in seven starts.
Ateneo
de Manila University
19 Bernardo Adriane Ros P
3 Ramos, Kevin SS
17 Catangui Charles 2B
11 Laurel, Matt 3B
63 Tantuico Paco 1B
14 Remollo, Dio C
21 Long, Kirk CF
10 Bagamasbad, Gabe RF
7 Reyes, Matt RF
Changes:
Ros to 2nd Paco pitching
Charles to 1st
Ramos to 2nd
Pelos Remollo to CF at the top of the
7th inning
Kirk Long to right field; Gab
Bagamasbad out.
National
University
29 Rosita Jezreel 2B
3 Lumbres RF
6 Gante MJ CF
4 Olivares, Alfred C
8 Santos, Aprix 1B
7 Elic, M DH
9 Alipio, R SS
10 Fortunato, Herxel LF
44 Tolosa, Jhondel 3B
23 Oruga, Aries P
---------------------------
Adriane Bernardo in first game:
First pitch strike 5x
First pitch ball 3x
He faded once he got to the 7th inning.
Adriane Bernardo in second game:
First pitch strike 2x
First pitch ball 2x
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