Falcon softbelles begin 10-peat bid with escape over UST
Date Posted: February 22, 2023 at 04:00 PM
The Lady Falcon batters finally got the chance to extend their nine years of domination in UAAP softball and they did not waste their time doing so.
The team opened its quest for a 10th consecutive title with a 2-1 thriller over their rivals University of Santo Tomas, at the University of the Philippines Baseball Field in Diliman.
Despite a stale in the first four innings, Adamson showed early rust with UST stringing their offense in the fifth with an Angel Bedano single followed by a bunt by Angela Solidarios that pushed Bedano into scoring position.
Lady Falcons head coach Ana Santiago then called for an intentional walk on UST’s Lyca Blanco to load the bases for the Tigresses before Glory Alonzo unleashed a wild pitch which allowed Bedano to score for a 1-0 lead for the Espana-based team.
The defending champs, however, had other plans as they found their rhythm and pounced on UST pitcher Royeyel Palma.
Alonzo’s fellow NU transferee Neomay Mahinay hit a chopper single to the left field while MJ Maguad followed it up with a sacrifice bunt to let the former take third base.
UST then resorted to a gamble as they walked Angelu Gabriel after Mae Lannga was hit-by-pitch, filling the bases for the Lady Falcons.
A pressure-packed walk turned from a Jeanette Rusia at-bat earned the game-tying score for AdU, while a sacrifice fly from Elsie dela Torre, another transferee from the Bulldogs, brought home pinch runner Madelaine Domaug for a 2-1.
Alonzo, who was also from the defunct NU softball club, closed out the game with successive outs on UST batters.
"Sabi ko sa team hanggang kaya nilang i-hold, i-hold nila. Kailangan lang ng isang inning to win [kaya] kapag naibigay 'yung opportunity na 'yun i-grab na," Santiago said.
The Lady Falcons will next face Ateneo de Manila University in the morning and De La Salle University in the afternoon of February 21 at the same venue.
Reports from UAAP Media Team
