Eagles tame Bulldogs in baseball opener

MANILA, Philippines - Matt Laurel led a hitting spree for Ateneo as the Blue Eagles tamed National U, 11-4, to move one win away from a first-ever UAAP baseball title yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Blue Eagles peppered Bulldog hurler MJ Gante with 13 hits, pouncing early on with a first-inning three-run home run from Laurel en route to a 3-0 headstart that set the tone for the one-sided opener in the Season 74 best-of-three finals.

Ateneo will shoot for the university’s maiden diadem in the sport on Sunday also at historic Rizal.

“Our hitting was ‘wow’, and our pitching was superior,” said AdMU coach Emerson Barandoc.

Adriane Bernardo hurled solidly for seven and two-third innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits and issuing three strikeouts and five walks. He switched positions with shortstop Kevin Ramos in the eighth and the latter closed out with a one-hitter and no run to secure the triumph.

Laurel, a former Little League standout, whacked a 1-0 pitch from Gante over to the left wall, sending Bernardo, Ramos, and himself home to jumpstart Ateneo’s torrid assault.

“Solid yung tama sa bola. Kitang-kita ko dumarating at binira ko ng husto (It was a solid hit. I saw the ball coming and slammed it hard),” said Laurel, who was given international walks on his second and third trips at bat.

Charles Catangui blasted a two-base RBI in the fifth to make it 4-0, then Ateneo added three more runs off two hits in the eighth to widen the gap at 7-0.

NU, which is looking for its first title since 1967, got into the scoreboard in the bottom eighth, with Jhondel Tolosa, Jezreel Rosita, and Gante reaching the plate off a catching error by AdMU centerfielder Pelos Remollo. Aprix Santos later added a fourth run for NU as he drove in Alfredo Olivares with a single.

Ateneo waxed hot in the last frame again, with Dylan Tantuico, Jr. unleashing a two-run double with two outs, Dio Remollo scoring Laurel from third with a single to shallow left, and Tantuico going home off a wild pitch by Gante, 11-4.

“Save for that error at centerfield, our defense was generally good. Even if they (NU) could get into scoring position, we were able to hold up and complete some double-plays,” said Barandoc.