Adamson boosts Final Four bid with comeback win over UST in UAAP baseball
Date Posted: April 11, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Adamson University strengthened its campaign for a Final Four spot after rallying from behind to defeat the University of Santo Tomas, 10-5, in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball Tournament on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
Photo: UAAP Media Team
With the win, the Soaring Falcons broke out of a two-game slump and rose to solo third place in the standings at 4-4, edging ahead of the University of the Philippines, who, like UST, dropped to 3-5, after falling to reigning titlists, National University in the succeeding game.
Rookie Milko Go Jr. proved to be a vital piece in the San Marcelino-based squad’s bounce-back effort, tossing 5.2 shutout innings in relief. The pitcher from San Miguel High School in Tarlac limited UST to just three hits, striking out three batters to earn the win and shut the door on a potential Golden Sox comeback in the ninth.
Go kept his composure in the final frame after UST managed a one-out single, calmly retiring the next two batters to seal the game for Adamson.
Adamson head coach Lando Binarao expressed the importance of the win, noting the need for consistent efforts from both the offense and pitching staff in the team's remaining games. With crucial matchups ahead, particularly against fellow Final Four hopeful UP, the Falcons are focused on staying sharp and finishing strong.
The San Marcelino-based batters trailed 4-5 entering the bottom of the sixth before igniting a decisive three-run rally. Kier Plaza jumpstarted the surge with a sharply hit double down the right foul line, followed by back-to-back walks issued to Mark Montoya and JM Tupig that loaded the bases.
The pressure proved too much for UST’s defense, as two costly fielding errors committed by UAAP 85 MVP Justine Rosales, combined with a timely hit by rookie James Nisnisan allowed three runs to score, giving the Falcons a 7-5 lead they never relinquished.
Adamson continued to pile on the runs in the eighth inning, tagging UST reliever Jesus Cabigao for three more insurance runs that effectively put the game out of reach.
The Falcons found their offensive rhythm in this match with 13 hits, led by Kean Matanguihan’s stellar four-for-five performance at the plate. Matanguihan also drove in four runs to help fuel the late-game rally, while Nisnisan added three hits and two RBIs.
Earlier in the game, UST took control by scoring all five of its runs in the first four innings, capitalizing on doubles from Cedrick Marquez, Mhigeil Cerda, and Sean De Leon.
Adamson’s offense, however, began to connect in the fourth and sixth innings, and Go took the mound, shifting the tide shifted to the Falcons’ favor.
The Falcons will try to go for back-to-back victories and a Final Four spot as they play another crucial match against UP on April 13 at the same Manila venue.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UST 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 5 8 5
AdU 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 3 x 10 13 1
