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| c/o UAAP Media Team |
Games on Sunday at Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium
7 a.m. - UST vs NU
DLSU vs AdU*
UP vs Ateneo*
*Law of immediate succession
PETER
Nonaillada delivered the game-winning moment that propelled De La Salle
University to a thrilling walk-off 5-4 victory over the University of
the Philippines to bounce back in the UAAP Season 87 Baseball tournament
on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
The
De La Salle Zobel product took the mound in the seventh inning to halt
the Fighting Maroons’ offensive momentum before ultimately scoring the
winning run off Ezy Bautista’s play, securing La Salle’s fourth win of
the season. The Green Batters now hold a 4-2 record, provisionally
claiming solo second place.
This victory came as a strong rebound
from their previous 7-11 loss to defending champions National
University and served as redemption for their 6-15 defeat against UP in
their season opener.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the
ninth inning, Nonaillada capitalized on his stellar pitching performance
by stepping in for designated hitter Pio Villamiel. He was then hit by a
pitch from UP reliever Ram Matanguihan, forcing in the winning run and
sealing the walk-off victory for La Salle.
Earlier in the inning,
the Green Batters had a chance to break through, but Bautista and
Aragorn De Vera were unable to advance after back-to-back flyouts from
Liam De Vera and Tuting Samuel.
"Sabi ko nga sa kanila bago
pumasok 'tong second round, ito mental ballgame na ito. Kailangan 'yung
mental toughness at baseball IQ, patalinuhan na sa laro ito. Kasi 'yung
first round, siguro naman naka-adjust na kayo. Kailangan 'yung mga mali
niyo nitong first round, eliminate na natin. Yun talaga ang target
natin, 'yung panalo magtuluy-tuloy para sa momentum natin," said Green
Batters head coach Joseph Orillana.
("I told them before entering
the second round that this is now a mental ballgame. We need mental
toughness and baseball IQ—this is a battle of wits on the field. By now,
you should have already adjusted from the first round. The mistakes you
made earlier, we need to eliminate them. Our goal is to keep winning so
we can build momentum.")
The La Salle legend also underscored the significance of every game moving forward.
"Lahat
ng teams dito may kanya-kanyang adjustments na. Pero 'yung tiwala niyo
dapat sa sarili niyo at sa team, at 'yung effort—tulungan tayo—mananalo
tayo. Kasi lahat ng team dito is a team-to-beat kasi agawan na ng pwesto
sa second round. Kaya, again, tapang lang sa laro at 'yung mental
toughness lang kailangan namin," he added.
("All the teams here
have made their own adjustments. But you need to trust yourselves and
the team, and put in the effort—if we help each other, we will win.
Every team here is a team to beat because spots in the second round are
up for grabs. So again, we just need to play with courage and mental
toughness.")
The Green Batters had to showcase that resilience as
they came from behind twice in the game, with UP seniors Ian Mercado
and Kobe Torres making their presence felt on offense.
Mercado,
the reigning MVP, crushed a triple in the fourth inning to record the
game’s first run before scoring off an RBI single from Aaron Nicha,
giving UP a 1-0 lead.
In the seventh, Torres—who also started on
the mound for the Fighting Maroons—blasted Barry Oñas’ first pitch to
deep left field, sending it over the ledge for a two-run home run. His
shot brought home Daniel Badrina, who had reached first base following a
fielding error by third baseman Liam De Vera, pushing UP ahead once
more.
However, Nonaillada took control from there, striking out
Emman Javier to end the seventh. He went on to record a no-hitter
through the remainder of the game, retiring Razhley Santos and Torres in
the eighth inning to keep La Salle within striking distance.
The
loss marked UP’s second straight defeat, dropping them to 2-4 and
fourth in the standings. It also spoiled solid two-for-four hitting
performances from Mercado, Nicha, and Torres.
Matanguihan, meanwhile, suffered the loss after hitting Nonaillada with the game-ending pitch in the ninth inning.
Teams 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UP 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 4 6 5
DLSU 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 5 8 3
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