UST just 3 wins away from sweep, UAAP softball crown

University of Sto. Tomas needed some time to get warmed up but once the Tigresses got their rhythm, they were simply unstoppable. The Tigresses hacked out a 14-6 victory over University of the East in Wednesday’s UAAP softball held at the UST field to go 7-0 and move three wins away from a sweep and the outright title.

Lani Sarmiento went three-of-four and drove in five runs, two of which she delivered when the Tigresses scored three runs on four hits in the fifth inning to break away from the last deadlock at 6-all. Pitcher Aiza dela Torre, who went perfect in three trips at bat, took charge at the mound, allowing only one hit from Lady Warrior Vanessa Dinggal in the crucial last three innings. “We started cold but we picked up our game in the upper innings. My big hitters struggled but luckily, the others step up," said UST coach Sandy Barredo. The win sort of atoned for UST’s 10-0 shutout loss to UE when they played the first time around. This outcome, however, was reversed by league officials after discovering that the Lady Warriors fielded in an ineligible player. More importantly, the Tigresses inched closer to a sweep of the 10-game eliminations that will reward them with the school’s first-ever UAAP softball crown. Dela Torre gave up 10 hits and six runs in a no-relief job at the mound to win her battle with UE’s ace hurler Jenny Pangilinan, who surrendered 10 of UST’s 15 hits in the seven-inning contest. Pangilinan was replaced in the sixth inning by Lanilyn Aligno who also could not contain the UST batters as she got tagged with five hits that produced five runs. Angelique Benjamin greeted Aligno with a standing triple to right field that also scored Lilet Arago and Jenalyn Polinario before UST closed out the match with three more runs in the seventh and last inning. Going for a sweep Next assignment for UST is UP this Saturday. The España-based squad will complete its assignments against Ateneo and defending champion Adamson. “We are going for the sweep. We don’t want to give other teams a chance (to forge a Final Four) and we have the momentum. We just have to work harder in practice and put more focus in the game to be able to accomplish our goal," Barredo. Adamson kept its hold of second place with a 6-1 record via a 5-0 blanking of UP. The Lady Falcons had 10 hits against three UP pitchers with Michelle Lentija pushing in two runs right in the first inning for a 3-0 lead that all but settled the outcome of the contest. Ateneo routed La Salle, 12-1, in the other game. UP fell to 4-3 while Ateneo got its third win in seven outings. UE dropped to 1-6 while La Salle remained winless in seven games. - GMANews.TV