By Dick Dornan
MyBurbank Sports Editor
Just like their cross-town rivals were in a need of a win last week, Burbank held its collective breath for seven innings only to exhale a sigh of relief after rallying for an exciting 4-3 win against Granada Hills on Wednesday afternoon.
Cameron Briggs’ one-out single down the right field line brought home Ryan Porras as the Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak heading into spring break.
“Hopefully that’s what it’s all about- resiliency, but I feel we come out flat and not with the concentration that we need to have early in games,” Burbank coach Bob Hart said. “It puts us behind quite a bit and then we have to muster a way to win. That’s a tough way to win in the long run.”
Burbank (3-6) has been facing a gauntlet of tough teams such as Loyola, Hart, Westlake, El Camino Real and Chatsworth in the early going of the season. Entering the tilt against the Highlanders in the Babe Herman tournament, Burbank was 2-6 and searching for that elusive win.
On the opposite side of the city, Burroughs began its season 1-4 only to sweep Malibu in a doubleheader last Saturday which gave the Indians a shot in the arm as they begin the Coachella Tournament next week. Burbank followed suit and found a way to win despite only four hits.
Trailing 2-0 after one inning, the Bulldogs responded scoring a run in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Granada Hills tied the game at three apiece with a run in the sixth setting up a dramatic seventh inning.
With Highlanders on second and third and nobody out in the top of the seventh frame, Burbank reliever and starting shortstop Cameron Briggs faced difficult odds. The junior remained calm and first induced Granada Hills’ Conner Dreyer to hit into a pop up to Randy Higgens.
After an intentional walk to load the bases, Briggs struck out Noah Weinberg and then got Justin Castaneda to hit into a fielder’s choice at second base ending the threat.
“I was trying to just focus and throw strikes,” Briggs said. “That’s all I needed to do because our defense will take of the balls put in play. I wanted to mix up my pitches and not throw any of the same stuff and I got out of it.”
Briggs followed up his solid pitching performance with the game-winning walk-off hit in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Porras and Conner Lockheimer were hit by pitches setting up Briggs’ dramatic RBI single to right. Porras slid in safely and the Bulldogs celebrated the come-from-behind win.
“I noticed the pitcher was struggling with his location and I was thinking he would want to throw a fastball down the middle so I am going to expect it,” said Briggs, who earned the win on the mound. “I saw one and took it the other way.”
“He’s talented,” Hart said of Briggs. “When he’s fluid and cuts down the emotion he can be very effective.”
Burbank pitcher Alex Minnick threw a solid five innings after giving up two runs in the first. He gave up one earned run on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Minnick left the game with an apparent hand injury suffered on a bunt attempt.
“I felt like I did a good job locating and everything,” Minnick said. “The changeup was really working and when it does I feel really good. I thought I pitched a good five innings.”
With spring break next week, Burbank will take some time off to refresh and regroup and then begin preparations for defending its league title against Arcadia on April 1 at BHS at 3:30 p.m.
“I think building momentum is really important,” said Minnick. “We will have a lot of confidence coming into the Arcadia game. Momentum is a big thing for us.”
