If there is one thing the Burroughs baseball can celebrate, it is the fact that the Indians won’t have to face Pasadena High ace Alvie Castro any more.
The senior right hander dominated the visiting Indians Friday by striking out 10 and allowing just one hit in a 7-1 Pacific League victory. It marked the second year in a row that Castro has defeated Burroughs.
“Castro was right on strike after strike after strike. He was in the zone the whole game,” Burroughs coach Craig Sherwood said. “We were trying to take some pitches and drive his pitch count up and we just couldn’t get it there. He beat a good team today. Hats off to him.”
Burroughs (9-7, 3-1 in league) got its only hit off Castro on the last pitch he threw, a single by pinch hitter Revin Diego in the seventh inning. Castro was then removed after reaching the limit of 110 pitches.
“I was working on my changeup a lot more,” said Castro, who didn’t realize he had a no-hitter for much of the game. “I found out coming back out to the mound for the seventh. I heard them saying it.”
Pasadena coach Jose Montes said his team desperately needed the victory after losing to Burroughs 4-1 earlier in the week, its third straight defeat to open league play.
“Today we can out with a sense of urgency. My pitcher was just outstanding. You can’t ask for a better outing than that. When you need a big game from someone you bring your ace in,” Montes said.
Pasadena (10-7, 1-3 in league) scored a pair of runs in both the second and third innings and added three more in the fifth inning.
Burroughs scored its lone run in the sixth inning.
Collin Johnson led off with a walk. Brian Garcia then reached base after the ball he hit was nearly caught on the run by right fielder Christian Zambrano. Two batters later, Julian Jaramillo reached base on a throwing error that allowed Johnson to score.
Castro however bounced back to retire the next two batters and eliminate the comeback threat.
Sherwood acknowledged that the loss could define the rest of the season.
“How we respond to this is going to be the mark of our team,” he said.
