Philippines, 01 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


How the Lady Falcons escaped defeat in Game 1 of three-game title series vs UP


PhilBoxing.com


The first thing to establish about Ana Santiago is that there really is one.

She currently is the winningest softball coach in the UAAP with 14 title conquests while calling the shots from the Adamson University Lady Falcons’ bench. She has a chance of raising that record to 15 in this Season 85 of the varsity league.

Last Tuesday Game 1 of the Lady Falcons’ best-of-three gold medal series against the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, coach Ana, once again, showed why she has earned that many honors by making a series of moves that spelled the Lady Falcons’ triumph. The score was 1-all going into the lower half of the seventh and final inning and the Soaring Falcons in the offensive end.

Starting and winning pitcher Glory Alonzo, one of at least half-a-dozen members of the Philippine Blu Girls in Santiago’s roster, had just successfully shutout the Lady Maroons in their last two chances to grab the upper hand in the upper sixth and seventh.

It was, therefore, defend on coach Ana’s next moves whether to win the game outright and gain big psychological edge of keeping the crown they captured three seasons ago before softball was removed from the UAAP calendar due to Covid 19 pandemic.

Or keep the tie and send the showdown into extra periods like what happened in their first encounter in the elimination round won by UP following four-inning overtime played in nearly five hours.

“No, I don’t want my girls go to that agonizing moment again,” coach Ana must’ve thought. And the quick thinking mentor immediately reconstructed her starting lineup by removing Alicia Pichon, a regular feature in her dreaded batting order but hardly a factor in her offensive rotation that time, and inserted centerfielder Alaiza Talisik to do the job of at least making it on base for a designed last move to score a run and emerge triumphant.

The move confused the Lady Maroons’ losing hurler Kacelyn Valino, who in her desire to avoid making an easy pitch for Talisik to connect, rolled her pitch to the ground instead, hitting one of the batter’s legs. With one on in first, Santiago fielded Madelaene Domaug as substitute runner for Talisik.

Dumaug tried to steal second right after stepping on base forcing the UP backstopper to throw wild bringing pinch hitter Mae Langga up.

Langga swang Valino’s fastball in her turn at bat, sending the leather to center and Dumaug home for the tie-breaking run and coach Ana and her Lady Falcons jumping in celebration of a hard-earned victory on the way to earning what could be their 19th championship, two short of Far Eastern University record 21.

No less than UP’s representative to the UAAP board of management, Kiko Diaz, expressed praises for coach Ana’s coaching ability saying after the Lady Maroons loss and his appreciation to what the Adamson bench tactician had done to win.

“Well, hanga ako sa ginawa ni coach Ana para manalo kanina. She really has lifted the Lady Falcons to that win. Magagaling naman talaga sila. What with a lineup with a nearly a dozen members of our Blu Girls.”

“But this doesn’t mean that we’ve already lost. No. Laban pa rin kami,” Diaz said in a post-game statement shared by UP head coach Ronilon Pagkaliwagan.

“Sa tutoo lang, wala namang brilliancy sa ginawa namin. Lahat ng sport may mga privilege na ibinibigay para manalo ang teams,” Coach Ana humbly said. “We only have to avail of them at the right time and circumstances. Na-tsambahan lang namin.”


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • MARIO BARRIOS LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • CATTERALL AND EUBANK LAY THEIR 'CARDS ON THE TABLE' AHEAD OF MANCHESTER SHOWDOWN
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Dumadag holds chess tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Manny Pacquiao's Case for the Greatest of All Time
    By Ace Freeman, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • DavNor Adventure Race 2025 set July 2
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Gumila rules Antipolo rapid chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Wins by 4th Round KO Over Sarawut Thawornkham to Capture the IBF Pan Pacific Super Flyweight Title
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Team USA's Quest for Gold Set in Stone at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • SBA SEASON 2 DRAFT UNVEILS RISING STARS AND STRATEGIC MOVES AS TEAMS COMPLETE THEIR ROSTERS
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Filipino Elwin Retanal wins Saudi rapid chess meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Jake Paul Earns Boxing Legitimacy with Dominant Decision Over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Zurdo Ramirez Defends Cruiserweight Crowns with Unanimous Decision Over Dorticos
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri and John Jerish Velarde struck gold and bronze
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Would OKC Still Win the West If Dallas Had Not Traded Doncic?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.