By Rick Assad
It went back and forth like two supremely conditioned prize fighters, but in this instance, it was baseball, and it seemed neither Burbank High nor visiting Pasadena would give an inch after being tied for six innings in a Pacific League game on Tuesday afternoon.
Each team had numerous scoring opportunities that included the bases being loaded, but neither could break the tie until Pasadena finally did in the 10th inning and claimed a 3-2 triumph.
Burbank (3-8 and 2-4 in league) had the bases filled in the seventh and Pasadena (5-8 and 2-5 in league) had the sacks jammed in the fourth and ninth.
The game-winning hit came off the bat of Ian Van Zyl, who belted a single to center field against Robert Snyder, who toured six and two-third innings, yielding three hits, striking out eight, walking three and hitting four batters, that plated Adrian Oseguera, who drew a two-out walk.
In the bottom of the 10th, Burbank saw sophomore Tomas Angel reach base on an error.
Junior Michael Bui then proceeded to loft a ball to the first baseman who grabbed it, and it turned out Angel was too far off the bag and couldn’t get back to first base and was doubled up.
Junior Colby Bette, who started the game on the mound, walked and junior Adrian Vasquez ripped a sharp single near the high fence in right field.
Bette was on the move as he went to second base and third and tried to score the tying run, but the throw beat him at the plate and was tagged out to end the game.
Longtime Burbank coach Bob Hart knows the game and appreciates the finer points.
“I love the resiliency but at the same time we had many opportunities to score runs and came up empty. There’s hitting and then there is timely hitting,” he said of his team that collected nine, but also committed three errors.
Hart praised Snyder’s work on the hill.
“I thought Rob pitched very well and deserved better but when you don’t play defense behind your pitcher and you give people four or five outs in an inning, you get what you get,” he said. “Baseball is the most fair game in that respect.”
Snyder knows there will be better days for Burbank.
“It certainly was a hard-fought battle from both sides. It’s not every day that you get to play in a game that goes until the 10th inning,” he said. “When you’re put in the fourth inning, you’re not expecting to pitch a full seven, and that certainly was draining. I think any pitcher would be tired after 100 pitches, and I am certainly no exception.”
Snyder, who singled in the fifth innng, added: “However, I can’t complain. I went out there with my best stuff and pitched a good game, but sometimes the cards don’t fall how you want them to, and that’s alright,” he pointed out..”We’ll just have to pick up the pieces and get ready for the run back on Friday.”
Burbank seized control 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning after Angel (two hits) slapped a run-scoring single to left field and the hosts were assisted with another run when Pasadena made its two errors.
In the top of the second, Pasadena trimmed the deficit in half as Van Zyl had an infield hit that scored a run.
In the next frame, Pasadena tied it at 2-2 as Dre Calderon began the inning with a single to left field and scooted to second base on Michael Miranda’s hit to right.
Calderon advanced to third on a wild pitch by Bette, who went three innings, allowing five hits, striking out seven, walking two and hitting two batters, and scored on an error.
Senior Nathan Zecena had two singles for Burbank, senior Ryan Sebastian doubled, senior Jake Reyes singled, senior Miklo Reynoso singled and sophomore Jake Dibie also singled.
Osegura went eight innings, allowing seven hits with one walk and had seven strikeouts while Reese Kim worked two frames, giving up two hits and two walks with one strikeout.
