De La Salle wins UAAP baseball game to secure Final 4 spot

De La Salle University secured its spot in the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 86 baseball tournament with a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Ateneo de Manila University on Sunday at UP Baseball Field.

The win, following their previous loss to National University and a decisive 13-4 triumph over Adamson University, allowed De La Salle to share first place with NU and Ateneo earlier in the season before breaking away to claim sole leadership with a 6-3 record.

Head coach Joseph Orillana highlighted the importance of winning their last three games to secure a top-four finish, emphasizing strategic execution during key moments in the eighth inning that led to two crucial runs.

In the first inning, De La Salle scored four runs with Ateneo starter Manuel Senador struggling to find his rhythm, but Ateneo managed to catch up and take a 5-4 lead by scoring five runs in the second and third innings.

Joshua Pineda, the reigning Finals MVP, delivered another strong pitching performance for De La Salle, allowing only five hits without giving up any runs after taking over from starter Joaquin Mendoza.