Titans Baseball Club - Philippines

MANILA - How sweet are the fruits of victory? Just ask the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.

One week ago, the Maroons coughed up a five-run ninth inning lead that allowed the University of Santo Tomas Tigers to take the opener of the 2006 UAAP Baseball Championship Series. Momentum had shifted the Tigers way and the State U squad was on the brink of elimination. What happened thereafter showed the resiliency and character behind what it takes to succeed in the real world.

On thursday, UP bounced back to win the second game of the series.

Sunday would be the Maroons' crowning moment. Freshman Vladimir Eguia polished his rookie campaign by tossing a complete game five-hitter along with nine strikeouts and his teammates broke through in the late innings of a scoreless contest to give the Maroons a 5-1 win over the Tigers in the decisive game of the '06 UBCS at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

UP, the collegiate circuit's top-ranked team in 2006, reclaimed the title it won two years ago and its tenth overall.

At the outset, it seemed neither team would give. Eguia and Tigers ace Jon-Jon Robles were locked in a pitchers' duel as both lefthanders matched zeros on the board until the Maroons finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning courtesy of defensive lapses by the Tigers infield.

Ericson Eguia reached on secondbaseman Mark Castillo's error and advanced to third on Alvin Santos' single. JC Teruel then executed a perfect squeeze bunt that allowed Eguia to score the go-ahead run. Shortstop Julius Ona's fielding error brought home Santos to make it 2-0.

Things continued to go sour for the Tigers in the eighth as the Maroons pushed across three more courtesy of a wild pitch, a base hit, and a throwing error to give them a 5-0 advantage.

The Tigers wouldn't go quietly in the ninth however. After tallying a run, UST had the bases loaded and one out, but Eguia escaped the jam with a game-ending double play. The celebration was on as the Maroons raced to the field victorious.

What will the Maroons do for an encore? "Mas ok itong championship na ito kumpara sa iba kasi puro bata yung team. Next season, susubukan namin magback-to-back." (This championship is better than the others because of the team's youth. Next season, we will try to repeat.) said UP skipper Emerson Barandoc.