Camille Naredo

La Salle celebrates after beating NU in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 baseball Finals, April 14, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila. UAAP Media

La Salle celebrates after beating NU in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 baseball Finals, April 14, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

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UAAP Season 88

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776146566140UAAP 88 Baseball Finals G1 NU vs. DLSU- DLSU-3234.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="La Salle celebrates after beating NU in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 baseball Finals, April 14, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila. UAAP Media" width="960"/>La Salle celebrates after beating NU in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 baseball Finals, April 14, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila. UAAP Media</div>MANILA -- De La Salle University is one step closer to the UAAP Season 88 baseball crown after a breakthrough 2-1 win over National University in Game 1 of the Finals, Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.La Salle had dropped both of their elimination round games against the back-to-back defending champions in lopsided fashion, losing 14-4 in the first round and 10-5 in the second. The Bulldogs also swept the Green Batters in each of the last two championship series.The Green Batters finally solved the NU puzzle, however, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of- 3 series.Liam De Vera, who has taken on starting duties for La Salle in recent games, anchored a defensive stand that kept their modern-day rivals scoreless through eight innings.&quot;Kailangang ma-solid namin &#x27;yung depensa. Tapos yung pitcher namin, si Liam. Andun siya sa peak niya na talagang gustong niyang kunin, kaya nagtiwala kami sa players. Ang (sinabi) lang namin is tulungan siya sa paluan at i-execute &#x27;yung mga plays na kailangan namin sa kanila,&quot; said head coach Joseph Orillana.Following their coach&#x27;s directive, the Green Batters capitalized early. Marco Tantuico delivered a key hit that brought De Vera home for the game&#x27;s opening run. De Vera had reached base on a fielder&#x27;s choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring.La Salle doubled its lead in the third inning behind consecutive hits. Barry Oñas sparked the rally with a leadoff single to right field, before De Vera drove him in with an RBI double to left-center.De Vera capped a dominant two-way performance, tallying one hit, one run, and one RBI on offense while throwing a complete game on the mound. The second-year standout allowed just four hits and one unearned run while striking out seven batters to stifle NU&#x27;s comeback attempts.The Taft-based squad now stands just one win away from reclaiming the title it last held in Season 85. Orillana expects his team to maintain the same level of intensity heading into Game 2 on Friday at 8 a.m. at the same Malate venue.&quot;Ang naging difference is talagang determinado sila. Ang sinabi namin, dinala na namin kayo sa Finals. Ginawa namin &#x27;yung part namin, so kayo naman. Ang hinihintay namin dito is kung gaano kayo kadeterminadong makuha &#x27;yung Game 1, tsaka na natin intindihin &#x27;yung Game 2,&quot; said Orillana, a champion both as a player and as a coach.&quot;Tiwala lang sa teammates, tiwala lang sa coaches; team effort lang talaga,&quot; he added.The Bulldogs attempted a late rally in the final three innings and finally broke through in the eighth, capitalizing on an error by shortstop Ezy Bautista.What should have been a routine play at third—an attempt to catch Jherick Timban advancing—turned costly, as Bautista&#x27;s throw sailed past Tantuico, allowing Timban to score and trim the deficit to one.NU threatened once more in the ninth, putting pressure on De Vera after Aaron Detoito worked a 3–0 count. The La Salle starter, however, regrouped and fired two straight strikes to stay in control.The at-bat eventually resulted in a ground ball to Bautista, who initially bobbled it but recovered in time to throw to second baseman Oñas for the final out on Charles Chua.No Bulldog recorded more than two hits, as NU managed just four hits overall against De Vera.On the other side, national team standout Amiel De Guzman also went the distance, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out five in a complete-game effort.

De La Salle University is one step closer to the UAAP Season 88 baseball crown after a breakthrough 2-1 win over National University in Game 1 of the Finals, Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

De La Salle University is one step closer to the UAAP Season 88 baseball crown after a breakthrough 2-1 win over National University in Game 1 of the Finals, Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Malate, Manila.

UAAP: La Salle breaks through against NU, inches closer to baseball crown

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UAAP: La Salle breaks through against NU, inches closer to baseball crown

ABS-CBN News

Published April 14, 2026 02:03 PM PHT

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Updated April 14, 2026 02:07 PM PHT

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UAAP

UAAP Season 88

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De La Salle Green Batters

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