Toyo Gakuen University banked on the solid game of freshman Shohei Maruta to score a rousing 8-4 victory over La Salle in the Philippines-Japan University Friendship Tennis Tusday at the Alabang Country Club.

The lanky 6-foot-2 Maruta powered the visiting collegiate team in boys doubles and singles, teaming up with Kazuto Kawata in beating Pemrick Alina and Ed Amor, 8-4, before pulling off a 6-3 triumph over the La Salle’s No. 1 boys player Mike Basco.

The power-serving Maruta has never lost a singles match in the three match-ups Toyo Gakuen played against Ateneo, University of the Philippines and La Salle. Of the three local universities, only Ateneo managed to post a victory over the visitors.

He gets to show his wares when his school struts its stuff against the RP national pool late Wednesday at the Palms Country Club.

Ryohei Okada and Kazuhiro Hashima notched the first win with an 8-4 decision over David Dekoenigswater and Johnwill Baldonado.

In the boys singles, only Boom Regis managed to score a victory for La Salle, routing Okada, 6-1. Kazuto Kawata trounced Marlo Espedido (6-3), while Hashima downed Pemrick Alina (6-3).

Toyo Gakuen also dominated the girls doubles with Kana Morimoto and Ayaka Iwata drubbing Enah Baba and Kirstie Barraguias, 8-2; and Yumiko Watanabe and Kurumi Suzuki nipping Regina Santiago and Martina Guba, 8-7 (3).

But the La Salle girls bounced back in singles with Guba, Santiago, and Barraguias scoring over Morimoto (6-4), Watanabe (6-3) and Suzuki (6-3), respectively. Iwata routed Baba, 6-2, in the other girls’ singles