This appears in ateneo.edu
Dylan Tantuico fires away for an RBI single. I'd say he was the best player of the game for his clutch hitting. |
Ateneo
responds to NU’s challenge with a 11-4 victory
by rick olivares pics by brosi gonzales
February 23, 2012
Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium
There’s a moment in every game when
one team is at a crossroads. Either a particular play, a save, a block, a hit,
a substitution, or even a coaching change defines the moment.
For the Ateneo Blue Batters, it was a
response.
A response to a huge uprising by the
National University Bulldogs after they were spotted a 7-0 lead heading into
the eighth inning. With two outs away, they loaded the bases as Ateneo pitcher
Ros Bernardo ran out of steam. NU catcher Fred Olivares smacked one to dead
center field. A sure out for Pelos Remollo who came in an inning earlier. Only
Remollo misjudged the ball’s drop to terra firma and the ball smacked him on
the arms and rolled past him. Three runs scored. Four pitches later, Olivares
later crossed the plate when first baseman Aprix Santos smacked a RBI single.
Those four runs knocked Bernardo off
the mound in favor of Kevin Ramos (2-5; single and a double). With runners at
second and first, Ramos struck out NU left fielder Herxel Fortunato to end the
threat.
At the top of the ninth, NU
mysteriously intentionally walked Ateneo third baseman Matt Laurel who since
smacking a three-run homer in the top of the first inning to put Ateneo ahead
had not done much offensively. That loaded the bases as Dylan Tantuico coming
to the plate.
In the fifth inning, the battery of
Mark Gante and Fred Olivares intentionally walked Laurel with Tantuico on deck.
The gamble worked as Tantuico hit into an inning ending double play.
But in the seventh inning, Tantuico,
the Blue Batters’ first baseman, hit an RBI single to make it 5-0 for Ateneo.
With two men out and two on base,
Tantuico crushed a slider that hung a little bit too much to bring home
Bernardo and Ramos. That made it 9-4, Ateneo.
An RBI single through the gap by
Ateneo catcher Dio Remollo brought home Laurel. One pitch later, Tantuico stole
home on a wild pitch by Gante to make it 11-4. The Blue Batters regained their
seven-run advantage.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ramos
finished off the Bulldogs as Ateneo took Game One of the Best-of-Three UAAP
Baseball Finals.
“I love the way we responded,” said
Laurel after the match. “In our seventh game, we put Adamson in a hole and they
responded. We didn’t. Now we showed that we can as well.”
In that second round match against the
Falcons, Ateneo spotted Adamson a six-run lead before falling 14-11.
Bernardo who threw for 8 2/3 innings
pitched an economical game throwing 101 pitches (60 strikes and 41 balls) to
get the win. He also productive offensively as he essayed two singles and a
double in five at-bats. He also walked twice.
Bernardo’s counterpart, Mark Gante,
pitched a complete game (147 pitches with 86 strikes and 61 balls).
However, from the opening pitch, Gante
was in trouble. He beaned Bernardo with his very first pitch. Ramos slapped the
second pitch his saw to deep left to advance Bernardo to third on a double.
Then his offspeed pitch hung on Laurel as well who deposited the ball into the
left field porch for an early 3-0 lead for Ateneo. It was Laurel’s second home
run of the season.
Ramos who pitched 1 and 1/3 innings of
relief got the save while surrendering no runs.
The Bulldogs stranded seven runners
while the Blue Eagles left three men on.
Batting order
Ateneo
Blue Eagles
19 Bernardo, Ros (P) 5 ABs – 2 walks,
2 singles, double
3 Ramos Kevin (SS) 5 ABs – single,
double
17 Catangui, Charles (2B) 5 ABs – 2
doubles, 1RBI
11 Laurel, Matt (3B) 5 ABs – home run,
3 RBIs, 2 walks
63 Tantuico, Dylan (1B) 5 ABs –
single, double, 3 RBIs
14 Remollo, Dio (C) – 5 ABs – two
singles, double, 1RBI
21 Long, Kirk (CF) 3 ABs – two Ks 0-3
10 Bagamasbad, Gabe (RF) 2 ABs 0-2
7 Reyes, Matt (LF) 4 ABs – walk
5 Remollo, Pelos (CF) 2 RBIs
NU
Bulldogs
29 Rosita, Jezreel (2B) – 5 ABs
single, double
3 Lumbres, Mark (RF) – 5 ABs 0-5
6 Gante, Mike John (P) – 5 ABs single,
walk
4 Olivares, Alfred (C) – 4 ABs triple
8 Santos, Aprix (1B) – 4 ABs single,
walk
9 Alipio, Ram (SS) – 4 ABs two singles
10 Fortunato, Herxel (LF) – 4 ABs -
double
44 Tolosa, Johndel (3B) – 4 ABs single
18 Gante, Mar (CF) - walk
Support the Blue Batters on Sunday at 9am at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium! OBF!
Matt Laurel, I'm sorry. I got your HR on video but I lost my dam high def cam! Darn. I hate Rizal. First I lost my cellphones and now my cam.
-------------------Matt Laurel, I'm sorry. I got your HR on video but I lost my dam high def cam! Darn. I hate Rizal. First I lost my cellphones and now my cam.
Here's one on the UAAP Women's Volleyball Finals.
Nice seeing you at Rizal yesterday Rick! See you on Sunday! OBF!
ReplyDeleteWe need these games on the RADIO! Let me know if you need a play-by-play guy!!
ReplyDelete