MANILA – Adamson University Lady Falcons moved on the cusp of annexing its ninth straight title after an 11-2 win over University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 81 softball finals at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Pitcher Lyca Basa fanned out four batters to help the Lady Falcons, who scored nine runs in the opening inning, to seize the 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three titular showdown.
“Actually noong first inning, noong una silang pumalo (Tigresses), medyo naging shaky si Basa,” Lady Falcons head coach Ana Santiago. “Mabuti na lang at nakabalik siya. Maganda ‘yung pitching niya and at the same time, mainit ‘yung first inning namin.”
The rookies also delivered the goods for the Lady Falcons, with MJ Maguad producing three run by innings and two hits, and Clariz Lozada contributing two RBIs.
Trishia Tiozon was the lone bright spot for UST with two RBIs, all in the third inning, while Tigresses’ rookie pitcher Celyn Ojare struggled big time in the 1/3 innings she pitched.
In baseball, Iggy Escaño blasted a three-run homer in the bottom eighth as De La Salle University Green Archers survived Ateneo Blue Eagles’ Gino Tantuico’s grandslam homerun for a 9-7 win in Game 1 of the finals.
Escaño’s homerun sent Diego Lozano and Boo Barandiaran home to give the Green Batters a 8-2 lead in the bottom eighth. Kiko Gesmundo then scored another run to gain the needed separation before the Blue Eagles made a last ditch stand.
With bases loaded, Tantuico nailed the homerun to cut the deficit to 7-9 before the Blue Eagles fell short on its fight back./PN
