UP Los Baños alumni pace Lhuillier slo-pitch

MANILA, Philippines - The UP Los Baños alumni softball team opened its title defense with convincing wins in the opening of the seventh season of the Cebuana Lhuillier Alumni Slo-pitch Softball League at the Ateneo field.

UPLB defeated the Ateneo Blu-batters, 11-1, and blanked sister school UP Diliman, 9-0. Skipper Armand Bantoc and Baron Alqueza led UPLB’s solid defense allowing their opponents only one run in two games.

In the opening game, Ateneo defeated archrival La Salle, 8-6. The Blue Eagles built a 6-1 lead going into the sixth inning and looked headed for an easy win but the Archers rallied on hits by Nor Domingo and John Campos and leveled the score at 6 all.

Veteran Mike Gayoso opened the seventh frame with a double and scored on a single by RT de Jesus for the winning run.

Guest team, International School Manila, led by UAAP prospects Angelo Esguerra and Joel Lomotan, showed its more senior counterparts why it is a contender for the title this year by routing La Salle, 8-1.

The Bearcats later returned to the diamond to upset the UP Maroons, 7-6, in extra innings. Lan Perez and David Garrison hit consecutive homeruns that pushed the Maroons to a 5-2 lead after the fifth frame. But the young turks of coach Alex Petanja tied the game on regulation.

Games resume Feb. 21 at the Ateneo field with a five-game sked.