By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Defending champion Adamson University secured a spot in the UAAP Season 87 softball finals after trouncing Ateneo de Manila University, 16-0, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila on Saturday.
Adamson, unbeaten in six outings, will face the University of the Philippines at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
UP advanced to the finals after pulling off a 13-7 victory over De La Salle University in the semifinal game.
“It’s nice to be back in the finals. That was our first goal. I told them that even if we don’t sweep both rounds, what’s important is securing a spot in the top two. That has always been our goal,” Adamson head coach Ana Santiago said in an interview after the game.
She praised her team’s improved performance, particularly their offense.
“At least we hit well today compared to our previous games. They were really focused. I told them this was a must-win game, and we knew we were playing for a spot in the championship. Our preparations for the next games are already geared toward the finals,” said Santiago, who also coaches the Philippine Blu Girls.
Meanwhile, Ateneo (0-7) will face the University of Santo Tomas (2-4) at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
UP, with a 5-1 win-loss record, made it to the championship round for the third straight season.
UP head coach Ron Pagkaliwagan noted the team’s resiliency.
“I have confidence in them. They’ve been doing that in training, and I know they have the capability to quickly generate runs to catch up. It’s all about making adjustments because errors are part of the game. The important thing is to minimize them. I just motivated them to bounce back from their mistakes,” he said.
De La Salle, meanwhile, absorbed its fourth loss against three wins. (PNA)
