NU claims first round sweep in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP Media Team

UAAP Season 87 Baseball Standings

NU       5-0
DLSU     3-2
AdU      2-2
UP       2-2
UST      1-4
Ateneo   1-4

JHERICK Timban delivered in the clutch to help National University complete a first-round sweep of the UAAP Season 87 Baseball tournament, outlasting De La Salle University, 11-7, in 10 innings on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

Timban, a product of Dasmariñas Integrated High School, shut down the Green Batters in the final three innings—including the crucial ninth and tenth—to lead the reigning champions to a flawless 5-0 record. This marks the first time a team has swept the first round since the tournament returned in Season 85 two years ago.

After NU plated four runs in the top of the 10th inning, Timban took control on the mound, striking out two straight batters across the ninth and tenth innings to snuff out any hopes of a La Salle comeback.

He stranded Dustine Rebustillo, the runner on second, after fanning Luke Villacruz and Miguel Agoncillo in succession. Catcher Kent Altarejos then put the game to bed after three hours and 20 minutes, securing the final out with a catch on Yuan Sumague’s foul ball to seal the Bulldogs’ victory.

"Actually, halos lahat ng laro namin sobrang dikit. This just showed how mature the boys are and kung gaano kalaki 'yung puso nila sa laro. 'Yun ang mahalaga sa amin bilang coaches—makita sa kanila 'yung gano'ng attitude, lalo na sa endgame, sa mga ganitong tightly contested na laban," said NU head coach Romar Landicho, praising his team’s championship composure.

("Actually, almost all of our games have been very close. This just showed how mature the boys are and how big their hearts are for the game. That’s what’s important to us as coaches—to see that kind of attitude in them, especially in the endgame of tightly contested matches.")

"Siguro, bigyan ko rin ng credit 'yung mga assistant coaches ko at lahat ng nasa coaching staff. Ang mahalaga, maipakita sa mga bata na sa bawat pagkakataon sa laro, kailangan nilang ma-boost ang morale nila. At 'yun naman ang ginagawa ng buong coaching staff," added the second-year NU tactician.

("Maybe I should also give credit to my assistant coaches and the entire coaching staff. What matters most is making sure the players understand that in every game, their morale needs to be boosted. And that’s exactly what the coaching staff has been doing.")

NU built a commanding 7-1 lead in the first six innings, with their top batters making an impact. Kiel Olazo, Altarejos, and Kenneth Maulit got their bats going early, putting the Bulldogs in a comfortable position.

However, La Salle refused to back down, slowly chipping away at NU’s six-run cushion. The Green Batters mounted a furious comeback, tying the game at seven runs apiece by the end of the seventh inning.

Tuting Samuel led the charge, collecting two of his three hits during La Salle’s sixth-and-seventh-inning rally. Meanwhile, the De Vera brothers, Liam and Lord Aragorn, combined for two hits to help push across six runs in those crucial frames.

Liam, the younger of the De Vera siblings, finished with five RBIs in the game. But under pressure in the extra inning, he struggled on the mound after taking over from his elder brother and Barry Oñas, ultimately falling short against the surging Bulldogs.

Two straight hits from the Maulit twins, Kenneth and Kevin, sparked the four-run binge from the reigning champions before Julius Cesar Soriano drove in a double to the left field that sealed the final score.

Samuel took the final outs to stop the bleeding for the Green Batters, but the lead was enough for the Bulldogs to complete the first round sweep.

Teams 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
NU 0 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 4 11 14 3
DLSU 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 0 0 0 7 10 2