WITH a back-to-back championship within reach, National University is determined to go all out in Game 2 of the best-of-three UAAP Baseball Finals today (Tuesday) at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.
The Bulldogs are not only gunning for their fifth UAAP title, but also eyeing a historic first-ever consecutive championship as they take on the De La Salle Green Batters at 8 a.m. in this crucial second game.
In Game 1, NU overwhelmed La Salle with a dominant 16-7 victory, anchored by two explosive innings led by standout performances from Nigel Paule and Kevin Maulit. Paule sparked the defending champions with a grand slam in the third inning, giving NU a 5-1 lead, while Maulit delivered a momentum-shifting triple that halted a La Salle rally and extended their advantage to 10-5.
“Alam naman namin na may possibility na bumalik ‘yung La Salle. So, pinaalala ko lang na ‘yung score, hindi importante; kailangan nating mag-reset. Kailangan pa rin naming mag-focus sa hitting kasi hindi pa tapos ang laro. So, ‘yun naman ang ginawa, nag-respond naman ‘yung mga players kaya nakuha namin ‘tong game,” said second-year head coach Romar Landicho.
Landicho emphasized that making history with a back-to-back championship remains the team’s main motivation heading into Game 2.
“Yun pa rin talagang makuha ‘yung back-to-back kasi talagang inaasam namin to for NU. Yun pa rin yung motivation namin, makakuha ng history,” he said. “It’s not over; may Game 2 pa. We have to be ready pa rin kasi every time may ibibigay na magandang laro ang La Salle.”
Meanwhile, De La Salle needs to find a way to neutralize NU’s relentless offense and match their scoring output if they hope to extend the series to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday.
In the series opener, the Bulldogs outhit the Green Batters 21 to 11. While both teams committed three errors, La Salle’s lapses came at more critical moments, ultimately tilting the game in NU’s favor.
Game Tuesday (Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium)
8 a.m. – DLSU vs NU (Finals Game 2)
NU leads series 1-0