University of Santo Tomas player Cedrick Marquez in action during the game against National University in the UAAP baseball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila on Wednesday (March 18, 2026). UST won, 5-4. (UAAP photo)
University of Santo Tomas pulled off a gritty upset on Wednesday, halting National University’s five-game winning streak with a thrilling 5-4 decision in the UAAP Season 88 baseball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Trailing for much of the contest, the Golden Sox came alive in the eighth inning and unleashed the kind of rally that completely flipped the game. UST strung together four straight hits off NU reliever Hil Espina III, setting the stage for a dramatic turnaround and snapping the Bulldogs’ early-season run of dominance.
The Golden Sox first pushed across a run before loading the bases behind hits from Harry Geronimo, Cedrick Marquez, and Tim Caldo. With the pressure mounting, NU head coach Romar Landicho turned to national team standout Amiel De Guzman in hopes of stopping the surge. But UST refused to let up.
Eljin Mendoza delivered the biggest hit of the game, lining a two-run single to deep left field to erase the deficit and tie the contest. Moments later, Sean De Leon came through with the go-ahead run, capping a relentless offensive burst that gave UST the lead for good.
UST head coach Jeff Santiago admitted he used tough words to fire up his team, though he made clear there was humor behind the message.
“I’ll remove their scholarship if they don’t win. That’s the challenge: If you don’t win, a lot of people will graduate from high school, your allowance will be cut off,” Santiago said.
“It’s a joke, but you really have to scare them. Look, I always yell at them. But that’s the culture in UST baseball, it’s a bit rough. You really have to beat them. I just reminded them, the last game was 3-1. Last year, we lost to them, it’s not impossible for us to beat them again.”
That edge seemed to fuel UST’s comeback effort, especially after NU dictated the pace through the first five innings. The Bulldogs capitalized on Golden Sox miscues in the second and fifth innings to build a 4-1 cushion. Julius Cesar Soriano collected his first hit in the second inning and later scored on an error by Charles Chua, who also figured in another defensive miscue that allowed Aaron Detoito to cross the plate.
But once UST settled down, the momentum shifted completely.
Mendoza, who came in for Erjohn Gallos, finished with a hit and two crucial RBIs in the decisive eighth inning, while Marquez sparked the offense with three of the Golden Sox’s 13 hits. On the mound, Irvin Llave delivered a shutdown effort, silencing NU over the final five innings while surrendering just one hit to claim the win.
NU, which managed only five hits all game, struggled to respond after UST grabbed control late. Kevin Maulit accounted for the Bulldogs’ only RBI with a single, but their limited offense proved costly as their unbeaten run came to an abrupt end.
Despite the loss, NU remained on top of the standings at 5-1. UST, meanwhile, improved to 2-4 to notch its second victory of the season and stay within striking distance of the teams ahead, including fourth-running Adamson University at 2-3.
The two squads will meet again on Sunday, with UST looking to prove its comeback win was no fluke and NU eager to reassert itself against a team that just handed it a rude awakening.