Ateneo batters beat La Salle in 10 innings, near title repeat

Ateneo beat La Salle in the first game of the UAAP Season 76 baseball finals at the Rizal Memorial Stadium Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. The Blue Eagles will go for a repeat Tuesday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo poured it all out in the 10th inning to nip De La Salle, 10-8, Friday in game 1 of the UAAP season 76 baseball finals to inch closer to a title repeat.

The Blue Eagles got go-ahead runs from the duo of Leandro Banzon and relief pitcher Adriane Ros Bernardo as they pounced on two costly miscues from the Green Archers at the top of the 10th frame.

“It’s the errors that made the game more intense. You could never tell,” head coach Randy Dizer said. “But even if we won in the extension, I am still picking our team as the underdog.”

Ateneo could wrap up in game two at noon on Tuesday also at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Bernardo, who came in for Andrew Tan at the bottom of the ninth inning, retired all eight De La Salle batters he faced in crunchtime.

Matt Laurel, Bernardo (one-for-five, double) and Banzon (one-for-four, single) led the Blue Eagles’ batting line with RBIs apiece.