UAAP Baseball Finals: Ateneo responds to NU’s challenge with a 11-4 victory

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.

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Here's one on the UAAP Women's Volleyball Finals.