Jasmin, Pareja shine as Adamson earns spot in UAAP baseball finals

Romeo Jasmin pitched four innings in relief while Jenald Pareja went 4-of-4 from the plate to lead Adamson to a 10-6 win over La Salle and in the process bagged the first finals berth in the UAAP baseball title series.

Jasmin stunned La Salle with an array of pitches as the top seeded Falcons eliminated the fourth ranked Archers in their semifinal match on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Field. Pareja scored two runs, had two doubles, a triple and three RBIs to help the two-time defending champions Falcons establish a 9-4 advantage after four innings. Warren Vispo, who was Adamson’s top pitcher when the Falcons swept their way to the title the last two seasons, started for the San Marcelino-based batters before being relieved by Jasmin in the top of the sixth inning. Vispo pitched for three shutout and hitless innings but gave up a combined four runs and seven hits in the fourth and fifth. He was replaced by Jasmin after giving up an RBI single to La Salle’s Jeff Ardio. Ardio’s single allowed Paolo Mallari, who had a triple, to reach home for a 9-5 count. Jasmin then took the mound and ended the Archers’ comeback bid limiting the La Salle batters to a single run on two hits to secure the win. But Adamson, which topped the double elimination round with an 8-2 record, will have to wait for its possible best-of-three finals rival after the No. 2 ranked National U Bulldogs suffered a 20-5 thrashing at the hands of the third seeded UP Fighting Maroons. The Maroons, who missed the chance to claim second place and the twice to beat incentive as they dropped their last two games in the elimination round, peppered four Bulldogs pitchers with 18 hits. NU also committed seven errors that resulted to six unearned runs. Vladimir Eguia proved he is still one of the finest collegiate pitchers when he limited the Bulldogs to three runs behind 10 hits while striking out two batters in a no relief job for the Maroons, NU and UP will once again take the field on Sunday with the winner advancing to the best-of-three championship series against Adamson. – GMANews.TV