UAAP softball: Strong debut for UP rookies

MANILA, Philippines – Losing four veteran players was no problem for defending champion University of the Philippines (UP) when its rookies picked up the slack in their debut. The Lady Maroons leaned on first-year players Alex Zuluaga and Lucille Rote to beat Ateneo, 9-2, at the start the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) softball tournament Saturday at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) field. Zuluaga, a recruit from Miriam College, belted a two-run triple in the Lady Maroons’ three-run first inning that break the game wide open. Rote, a freshman pitcher from Domingo Lacson National High School, was impressive on the mound yielding two runs on seven hits in UP’s first game without ace pitcher Dione Macasu, who had already graduated. UP last season, with the help of Macasu and sluggers Alexis Causapin, Kristina Daque and Jenny Badajos, won all of its 10 games in the elimination round to take the title outright. The Lady Maroons seemed like their old self chalking up a pair of runs in the second and three more in the fourth before Annalyn Ebreo’s double sent Emeeliza Cortez home in the fifth to wrap up the game due to a seven-run mercy rule. Meanwhile, last season’s runner-up Adamson coasted to a 15-0 thrashing of La Salle Anavic Jugos had four RBIs (runs-batted-in) including a two-run home run in the fourth to finish the game because of the mercy rule. UST also debuted on a high note winning over University of the East, 7-3. Sharmaine Dionisio’s bases-loaded squeeze play sent Aiza dela Torre home to break away from the 3-3 deadlock in the sixth but due to inept fielding by UE. The Tigresses cleared the bases on that same play due to the Lady Warriors’ errors with Lilet Arago, Tresha Rodriguez and Dionisio reaching home. Dela Torre gave up six hits in a complete game and fanned two to win the pitching battle with Jenny Pangilinan, who had a respectable game allowing six hits and striking out four only to be wasted by UE’s fielding woes in the sixth. – GMANews.TV