INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--Defending champion University of the Philippines blanked University of the East, 2-0, Sunday at the start of the UAAP men?s football tournament at Ateneo?s Erenchun Field.

Andre Mercader broke the ice in the 38th minute, before Jay Romulo Eusebio completed scoring in the 68th for the Fighting Maroons, who were unable to field touted Ghanaian Ayi Nii Aryee because of eligibility issues.

Ateneo upset last year?s losing finalist Far Eastern U, 1-0, on Gerard Cancio?s 83rd-minute header.

Ateneo pulled off another reversal in softball Sunday by downing University of the East, 5-3, while Adamson gained top spot with a 7-0 win over UP at the Rizal Memorial ballpark.

Santo Tomas later grabbed a piece of the lead with a 9-2 triumph over La Salle.

It was the Lady Eagles? first win in three matches while the Lady Warriors fell to 0-3.

UE actually won its first two games but organizers forfeited both matches following the discovery that one of its players, Maricar Barrientos, was not on the official roster.

In baseball, National University turned back Ateneo, 10-3, to claim a share of second with UP, which stopped La Salle, 6-3.

La Salle found solace at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan, where it scored its eighth straight win in women?s volleyball at the expense of Adamson, 35-33, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17.

UST downed Ateneo, 25-17, 23-25, 25-11, 25-20, to take second with a 6-2 record, while FEU dumped UE, 25-15, 25-18, 25-21, to arrest a two-game slump.

UST seized a share of the lead with FEU in men?s volleyball after walloping UP, 25-22, 25-18, 25-11 to raise its record to 7-1.

UST also gained solo leadership in women?s tennis after clobbering Ateneo, 4-1, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, while La Salle beat UP, 4-1, to improve to 2-0. UP dropped to 1-1.

La Salle scored its third straight win in men?s action with a 5-0 rout of UE.