Julian del Moral of De La Salle University in action during the game against Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP Season 88 softball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila on Tuesday (March 17, 2026). The Green Batters won, 11-0. (UAAP photo)
De La Salle University tightened its grip on its UAAP Season 88 softball campaign after dismantling Ateneo de Manila University, 11-0, on Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
The Green Batters wasted no time asserting control, scoring four runs in the opening two innings before erupting for seven more in the third to turn the contest into a one-sided rout.
It was another emphatic victory for La Salle over Ateneo this season, following up its 18-0 demolition of the Blue Eagles in the first round last February 28.
For head coach Jasper Cabrera, the win was an important response after a painful setback to the University of the Philippines, as the Green Batters try to quickly get their campaign back on course and stay in the hunt for a top-two finish.
“I said, let’s regroup again. When we lost to UP, it hurt. We really needed to get straight to the second round so we could get back to our target of being in the top two because that was the expectation of our coaches,” said Cabrera.
Julian Del Moral delivered the biggest blow in La Salle’s explosive third inning, driving in three runs to score Trisha Hicayen, Shein Espinosa, and Ciarina Eder for an 8-0 advantage. Jasmin Visaya then added to the onslaught with a double that brought Del Moral home, while Cassandra Inot scored what proved to be the final run of the game off an April Gonzales sacrifice hit to make it 11-0.
La Salle’s dominance extended to the defensive end, with Joergette Jordan taking full command in the circle. She blanked the Blue Eagles, allowing only two hits while striking out five in a composed shutout performance.
“The score showed that it was just breaks of the game. After we trained, we had to go back; we had to, one at a time. Ateneo first, we were focused; our hitting here at Ateneo needs to click so you can have some confidence against UST,” Cabrera added.
The Green Batters now turn their attention to another key test against University of Santo Tomas on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the same Malate venue.
Ateneo, meanwhile, remained winless through six games. The Blue Eagles managed just two hits, both coming from Zyrah de Guzman, and failed to build on the three runs they scored in their previous meeting against La Salle.
Still searching for a breakthrough, Ateneo will next take on Adamson University on Saturday at 9 a.m. before facing UP on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
