By Rick Assad
On three consecutive innings the Burroughs High baseball team had opportunities to tie or pull ahead but in each instance were turned away by Crescenta Valley.
Without clutch hitting during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, the Bears were stymied by the Falcons 3-2 in a Pacific League showdown on Tuesday night at Stengel Field and now own a six-game winning streak.
These two powerhouses will meet on Friday night with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. first pitch at the Bears’ field and it should be just as close.
In the fifth, senior Zack Guevara reached on an infield single with two outs for Burroughs and eventually reached second and third base after stealing two bases.
Junior Elliot Ross was safe after being walked and also swiped second base. When senior Logan Drossin fouled to first base the threat stalled.
“It just didn’t go our way,” Ross explained of the setback. “That’s baseball.”
In the sixth frame, the Bears (17-4 and 10-1 in league) had runners on second base and third base with one out as senior Jack Smith nudged a single to right field and scooted to second base on a base hit to right field by junior Jake Rauenswinder.
Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball, but senior Thomas Martin struck out looking and junior Slater Mersola lined to right field for the third out.
Burroughs, which came in with a five-game winning streak, loaded the bases in the seventh inning.
Guevara, who singled to right field in the third inning when the Bears tallied two runs, walked as did Ross. Drossin was hit by a pitched ball from junior reliever Cole Richards.
Richards settled down and fanned senior Devin Whittekiend swinging and Smith also missed on a third strike changeup.
Matt Magallon is the Burroughs head coach and felt the game was within reach but that his team let it slip away.
“I saw us not capitalize on opportunities. It’s baseball. That’s why it’s the best game in the world,” he said. “We left a small village on the bases today on what needs to be worked on and be ready Friday.”
The Bears trimmed the Falcon lead to 3-2 in the third when Guevara singled to right and scored on a double by Ross. Drossin slashed a single to left field that plated a run.
The Falcons (17-2 and 11-0 in league) scored all of their runs in the first inning as sophomore Ryan Shabazian walked to lead off the frame and went to second base on an infield hit by senior Dante Cerecedes.
Two batters later and with one out, junior Gunnar Herman laced a fastball from Whittekiend over the right field fence for a 3-0 cushion.
Whittekiend took the mound for the Bears and allowed four hits with three strikeouts and three walks over three and two-third frames.
Senior Jack Guest came out of the bullpen for Burroughs and fanned five across two and one-third innings.
Crescenta Valley used junior Evan Campbell as its starter on the mound and delivered four and two-thirds innings while yielding four hits while striking out three and walking one.
Senior Jack Pierce came into the game in the fifth inning and worked one and two-third innings, surrendered two hits, whiffed one and walked two.
