UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) put away University of the Philippines (UP) out of the finals picture in men’s baseball while Adamson University sprung to life in the women’s softball finals, also at UP’s expense, in UAAP Season 69 action.

Zhazha Alba and Sarah Jane Agravante each homered in the bottom third and sixth innings, respectively, and Cloiene Muyco delivered also in the sixth courtesy of a Yocel Aguilar RBI triple as the defending champion Lady Falcons got back at the Lady Maroons, 3-0, in Game Two Saturday of their race-to-two titular series at the Rosario Sports Complex.

The UST Tigers, on the other hand, made mincemeat out of the Maroons, who squandered their twice-to-beat advantage as the No. 2 team after the eliminations. The Tigers won, 6-2, Sunday, at the Rizal Memorial diamond, a fitting follow-up to their 16-5 rout the first time they met in the Final Four last Thursday.

UST meets Adamson in Game One also of a best-of-three titular series at the Rizal diamond tomorrow (Wednesday, February 28). Regular season No. 1 Adamson advanced to the finals via a 9-8 squeaker over National University, also Thursday. NU and UP dispute third place at 9 a.m.

UST and Adamson split their elimination round matches in men’s baseball this season with the Tigers prevailing, 5-4, in 12 innings in the first round and the Soaring Falcons leveling in the second round, 10-6.  Game Three of the Adamson-UP softball finals will be played at 10 a.m. today (Tuesday, February 27), also in Rosario, with Adamson, which lost Game One, 3-1, last week,  gunning for a third straight and eighth overall league title and UP eyeing its sixth plum.

Adamson and UP are 2-2 this season. Adamson beats UP, 11-6, in the first round of the eliminations, but UP spoiled Adamson’s bid for a title sweep, 4-3, in the second round.

Muyco held fort from atop the mound and gave up just one hit and retired nine UP batters she faced in seven innings. It was a far cry from the seven hits and five strikeouts she had in five innings in Game One.

“We got lucky and it gave us a morale boost. These kids are tried and tested. Muyco pitched well unlike our two previous losees to UP. Our coordination was also good. Our fielding has less errors,” said Adamson coach Anna Santiago.

LEAVE our players alone.

That’s what the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) told the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) yesterday, virtually saying it shouldn’t poach from its ranks through an “apprenticeship program” just because the pro league’s top stars are playing for the national team.

Pro league reschedules Apprentice Draft from today to Thursday

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has moved its Apprentice Draft from today to Thursday to give its coaches time to study their available options.

WITH most of its top stars gone to see duty on the national team, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) decided to bring in a new attraction.

WORLD Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight champion Fernando Montiel believes Mexican Jorge Solis will be an easy opponent for Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao.

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) put away University of the Philippines (UP) out of the finals picture in men’s baseball while Adamson University sprung to life in the women’s softball finals, also at UP’s expense, in UAAP Season 69 action.

BLAME it on being rusty if you want but the favorites simply don’t have the spunk and the stamina to win the major event.