The 19-year-old Tacuyan came through with three big hits in the last 10 seconds to nip Chung Chun-an of Taiwan, 14-13, while Castro, who replaced an injured Violito Payla just five days before the RP Smart-PLDT Boxing Team left for this capital city of Kazakhstan, did a tattoo job on Glesidin Saliev of Kyrgiztan en route to a 29-9 victory.

The twin wins, however, were blotted by the 25-14 drubbing absorbed by light welterweight Delfin Boholst from the fists of Mongolian Uranchimeg Munkh-Erdene later in the night.

Southpaw Tacuyan, son of former Asian Gamer Orlando Tacuyan Sr. trailed the Taiwanese from the first round on despite scoring more hits which the judges ignored.

Tacuyan, who trailed 10-12 after three rounds and was down 11-13 going into the final minute of the four-round bout, misunderstood the signal from head coach Pat Gaspi at the Blue Corner, thinking that he was ahead by two and started dancing away from the Taiwanese.

But when the big crowd rooting for him as well as Gaspi and his teammates started urging him to attack, he realized he must score more points to win and with time ticking away, he threw everything he had left as the Taiwanese tried to backpedal in vain, in the process getting tagged with three big lefts to the face as the final buzzer sounded.

"Akala ko po ay ako ang lamang nang isigaw ni coach na lamang ng dalawa. Hindi ko nadinig ‘yung kalaban.’ Pero nang mag-sigawan na ang mga tao at mga kasama ko na umatake, bigla kong naisip na kailangan ko pang umiskor," the prized Asian juniors champion said.

"Ngayon ko napagisip-isip nakung nagkataon pala, natalo ako na tumatakbo sa kalaban," Tacuyan, while being checked up by team physician Dr. Randolph Molo, added.

"That was an unfortunate turn of events but Jun (Tacuyan) showed the stuff he is really made of.. Getting back from two points down in the closing seconds is very rare in this kind of tournament," Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Manny Lopez noted.

"These big wins kept the RP Smart-PLDT team on track of its target. And I am hoping that we could sustain this run," he added.

But while Tacuyan needed a "great escape" to advance to the quarterfinals against Kim Won Duk of North Korea in the Last 8, Castro methodically destroyed Daliev, pockmarking the Kyrgiztan fighter’s face and body with solid lefts and rights to win convincingly for a quarterfinals date with Taiwanese Liu Shi-jung.

Won bested Indonesian Urias Arenaldo Moniaga while Liu nipped Rouholla Bakshian of Iran, 17-15.

Boholst gave his all against the Mongolian in the first two rounds to keep within striking distance but lost steam against the aggressive Munkh-Erdene’s attacks to join bantamweight Joan Tipon at the sidelines.

Tipon, the country’s top bet was the first to go to the exit after absorbing a 30-8 thrashing from H. Todjivayev of Uzbekistan last Monday.

Earlier Monday, Basadre overpowered Paulus Paunandes of Malaysia, 21-2, to give the RP Smart-PLDT Team its first quarterfinals berth.

Basadre tries to become the first Filipino semifinalist Wednesday when he tangles with Khawaja Muhebshah of Afghanistan.