It took exactly two pitches in order for the Burroughs High softball team to fall behind host Crescenta Valley in a Pacific League game on Thursday afternoon.
The Falcons, who finished co-league champions with the Indians, continued their torrid play and collected their ninth straight win after a 9-0 blanking.
Junior Alyssa Hernandez’s leadoff homer to left center off sophomore Isabella Kam made it 1-0.
Freshman Devon Medina’s run-scoring grounder back to the box in the second inning plated junior Kristy Taix, who reached on the first of five Indians’ errors, for a 2-0 edge.
Burroughs managed four hits off freshman pitcher Dee Dee Hernandez, who went seven innings, striking out nine and hitting a batter.
In the opening frame, the Indians (2-4-1 and 1-1 in league) loaded the bases as six batters went to the plate.
With two out, junior Mia Storer was nicked by a pitch, sophomore Chloe Bookmyer (two singles) clubbed a hit to center field and junior Megan Williams also singled, but the frame ended when senior Jessica Amaya bounced into a force out.
“Against a team like CV, you have to do that,” Burroughs coach Wes Tanigawa said of taking advantage of scoring opportunities. “I knew we were going to struggle against CV. I take this like we’re going to come out and we’re going to do our best. The girls that I brought up are going to have to step up and compete.”
Burroughs’ two hurlers are indeed young and will need to learn at the varsity level, which isn’t easy.
“We’ve just got to get our pitchers focused,” Tanigawa said. “They’re not used to pitching to teams of this caliber. Once they come up to the varsity level and play a team like CV, that’s a whole different story. This year is going to be a whole learning process for them.”
Kam led off the third inning with an infield single and Bookmyer singled with two out, but Williams fanned looking.
The Falcons (13-1 and 2-0 in league) added a pair of runs in the third as eight came to the plate against Kam, who went three innings while walking two and allowing five hits.
Sophomore Maddie De Leon singled to right center with two out and after junior Peyton Hause walked, Taix rifled a run-tallying single to right field that made it 3-0.
Hause then crossed the plate for the fourth run as the Indians committed two errors.
A three-run explosion made it 7-0 in the fourth inning as seven trotted to the plate against sophomore Sidnie Dabbadie, who toured three innings, yielding five hits with two walks and a hit batter.
Hernandez had a run-scoring base hit to right center that brought home junior Alyssa Hernandez, who led off with a single to left field and scooted to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Natalie Bitetti.
Dee Dee Hernandez’s single up the middle scored Alyssa Hernandez. A single to center by Hause made it 6-0 and it became 7-0 on a miscue as Burroughs committed two in the frame.
“Our biggest thing is that we have all team players,” Crescenta Valley coach Amanda Peek said. “We play together as a team. Team chemistry. No one can beat us if we’re a team.”
The Falcons tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Bitetti drove in freshman Arianna Chavez, who was hit by a pitch.
“There’s a lot to live up to here at Falcon softball,” Peek said. “We have so much potential. We didn’t play perfect today. There’s a lot of things we didn’t execute. If someone doesn’t do it, then the next person is going to pick them up.”
Alyssa Hernandez scored after reaching on a fielder’s choice and crossed the plate on a miscue that made it 9-0.
Hernandez set down the Indians in order during the second inning after fanning senior Nikki Ricciardella, sophomore Citali Mendez and sophomore Memorie Munoz.
Hernandez worked a perfect fourth and went 1-2-3 in the fifth inning as she struck out three batters over those two innings.
The Falcons committed their only error with two out in the sixth inning when sophomore Sami Fiorella reached, but Hernandez induced junior Hannah Skinner to ground out.
The game concluded when Hernandez retired Burroughs in order in the seventh inning.