ACTION keeps heating up as the second semester calendar of the 72nd season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) opened four events – softball, baseball, tennis and chess – over the weekend.
Unseeded National University (NU) scored an upset after routing last season’s runner-up University of the Philippines (UP), 7-0, in the opening of the 72nd UAAP baseball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Rookie pitcher MJ Gante sealed the deal for the Bulldogs where he struck out four UP batters.
Over at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, University of Santo Tomas (UST) scored a 5-0 blanking of University of the East (UE) in the UAAP men’s lawn tennis competition.
The La Salle Green Archers and the Tigresses joined UST as opening day winners.
La Salle outlasted bitter rival Ateneo, 3-2, in the other men’s match while reigning women’s most valuable player Nikki Manalo helped UST to a 3-2 squeaker over UP.
Over at the UST open field, University of the East only needed five innings in dispatching University of the Philippines, 7-0, to open their title bid in women’s softball.
Saturday action meanwhile saw reigning champion Adamson Lady Falcons started their title defense with a bang despite losing prized pitcher Cloine Muyco at the UST open field.
The Lady Falcons rolled past the La Salle Lady Archers, 13-1, in an abbreviated game at the start of the UAAP softball competition.
It was the San Marcelino-based batters’ 11th straight win, counting its 10-game sweep of the elimination round last year to secure the crown.
La Salle, on the other hand, remained winless in the last two years.
Joining them as opening day winners are last year's runner-up UST Tigresses, who also scored a lopsided 11-1 victory over the Ateneo Lady Eagles. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)