Burbank High pitcher Matt Lungaro is usually quite reliable and effective, but his control was slightly off in the first inning and it cost him against visiting Arcadia on Tuesday afternoon.
Lungaro gave up a three-run homer to right center by senior John Woo in the initial frame before settling down until the sixth inning when the senior right-hander surrendered three more runs and took an 8-1 setback to the Apaches in a Pacific League game.
“That home run was really big,” Burbank coach Bob Hart said. “When you get down like that so early and you’re chasing runs, it makes it really hard. But we have another chance at them on Friday.”
Hart said the short fence contributed to the deficit.
“That’s a fly ball in most parks, but not here,” he pointed out. “But Matt was having a hard time keeping the ball down and it hurt him.”
Lungaro toured five and one-third innings, allowing six runs, 10 hits with four strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter.
“Those were stressful innings,” Hart said of Lungaro’s time on the mound. “But after that first inning, he settled down and did a really good job.”
After retiring sophomore Jacob Lopez on a grounder, Lungaro gave up a base hit to left field by sophomore Jeffrey Castillo.
Lungaro then walked sophomore Dominick Tello before Woo’s blast over the short fence.
Junior Tyus Santa Anna (two doubles and a single) was then hit by a Lungaro offering, but struck out senior Jacob Sergi and junior James Nagaoka, both looking to end the frame.
The Bulldogs (8-6 and 4-1 in league) cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the fourth inning when junior Abiezer Delgago singled to right center with one out and scored on a two-out infield base hit from senior Branden Phillips.
Lungaro faced five Arcadia batters in the sixth inning and allowed four hits with three runners scoring including a run-tallying hit by junior Chase Pedersen (three singles).
Two other runners crossed the plate when senior Chris Minnick gave up a double to left field by Castillo that made it a five-run margin.
When the Apaches (9-7 and 5-0 in league) dented the scoreboard for two runs in the seventh inning off senior Christian Guerra the cushion became seven runs.
In the frame, Nagaoka (two singles) and junior Eddie Presz both lined run-producing base hits to center field.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, sophomore Davis Mieliwocki singled up the middle, but senior Henry Leake popped up and Delgado flied to right.
A two-out base hit to right field by Minnick in the sixth inning ended there when junior Matthew Shaugabay fanned on a called third strike.
Senior Jacob Kampen was the winning pitcher after working six innings, allowing four hits, fanning eight with two walks.
