The UST Golden Sox and UP Fighting Maroons saw their crucial UAAP Season 88 baseball clash suspended in the bottom of the ninth inning, with UST clinging to an 8-7 lead on Sunday, March 29, at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.
Play was halted due to darkness after a four-hour standoff. Tensions peaked in the top of the ninth after a pivotal play involving UST runner Eljin Mendoza caused a lengthy delay, as umpires took several minutes to rule him out at home plate.
The suspended final inning will resume on Sunday, April 5, at the same venue. Immediately after, UST is set to face the Ateneo Blue Eagles in another high-stakes matchup.
The Golden Sox struck early, capitalizing on a bases-loaded opportunity in the second inning as Ken Madrid and Arvin Reyes delivered sacrifice RBIs to take a 2-0 lead.
UST starting pitcher Irvin Llave, however, ran into trouble in the third inning. With the bases loaded, UP managed to push across two runs to even the score at 2-2.
UST quickly responded in the fourth as Cedrick Marquez blasted an RBI triple that brought Madrid home, restoring a 3-2 advantage. But the lead was short-lived, as LM Basañes answered in the bottom half with an RBI of his own, 3-3.
Madrid stepped up again in the fifth inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, the rookie delivered a shallow right-field hit, driving in two runs to give UST a 5-3 cushion.
The momentum shifted yet again in the bottom of the inning, as two costly defensive errors by UST allowed the Diliman-based squad to take a 6-5 lead.
The España-based squad found a way to respond in the sixth as Jesus Cabigao lifted a sacrifice fly that brought in the tying run to knot the contest once again at 6-6.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Nano Ascuncion ripped a RBI line drive down the left field to give UP another 7-6 edge.
UST stayed composed at the plate as Cabigao responded with an RBI triple to level the match in the eighth inning, 7-7.
Cabigao then executed a perfectly timed squeeze play, allowing the go-ahead run to hand the Golden Sox an 8-7 lead.
Pitcher Llave was able to preserve the lead in the bottom of the eighth before the game was suspended in the ninth.
If UST holds on to win once play resumes, UP and Ateneo will be in a three-way tie for fourth place with identical 3-6 records. F
