It was opening day for a new baseball season for Burroughs High, and the Bears went on the road to face a formidable opponent in San Marino.
“That is a playoff team,” Burroughs coach Matt Magallon said of the Titans.
With strong pitching, and just enough offense, the Bears won their season opener 2-0 over the host Titans at McNamee Field in nonleague play on Feb. 16.
“I think that was a complete team win,” Magallon said. “It wasn’t the best executed game. It wasn’t the best defensive game by any means, but they did what they had to do and our pitching bailed us out, so it worked out.”
The matchup came as part of the Dave Moore Baseball Tournament, which will see both teams play more games as it continues.
“I’m so excited that the Dave Moore Tournament is back,” Magallon said. “When Monrovia reached out and said, ‘You want to be in it?’ I was 100%. I think they run a great tournament.”
It was the first loss of the season for San Marino, which had a 9-0 home win over Providence and a 5-4 road win over Campbell Hall before falling to Burroughs in the opening game of the tournament for the Titans.
“I always believe that losing games like this early helps,” San Marino coach John Franklin said. “If you go through the whole first half of the season with no adversity, all of a sudden adversity can hit and teams will fold, so now it is our chance to bounce back.”
Bear sophomore Ryan Walsh, in his first varsity start, pitched five strong innings, striking out four to pick up the win.
“We’re just excited that he came out and did what we know he can do,” Magallon said.
Sophomore Jack Guest sat the Titans down in order in the last two innings, striking out two, to record the save.
Titan right-hander Tomás Bilvado went the distance on the mound for the hosts, yielding a scant three hits. The junior ace had seven strikeouts, including striking out the side in order in the fifth on just 10 pitches.
The Bears scored their first run of the season in the fourth inning. Bilvado hit Nate Chapman with a pitch to lead off the frame. Devin Whittekiend followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Chapman into scoring position. Chris Perez followed with a single into right field, allowing Chapman to score. However, Titan freshman catcher Parker Wilson threw out Chapman trying to get to second base after the throw came home.
In the bottom of the inning, San Marino loaded the bases with no one out. Sid Danenhauer led off by legging out an infield single. Coleman Morning then hit into a potential double play, but was safe on a Bear infield throwing error. Ryan Park then hit his second bunt single of the contest to fill the bases. However, Walsh then struck out the next two Titans on full counts, one swinging and one looking, before inducing a pop out to escape the jam.
“I was a little stressed at first, but I just knew, deep breath, my guys behind me have my back, and we got our way out of it,” Walsh said.
The hosts had another prime opportunity to score in the bottom of the fifth, when Carson Herren led off with a single to left center. Chase Mena followed with a single to right field, but Herren was thrown out trying to reach third base. Walsh struck out the next batter, but the next Titan reached on error after Mena stole second. The next batter flew out to right field, stranding runners at second and third.
Burroughs tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Perez reached on an infield single with one out. Pinch runner Willan Armes advanced to third as Nick Fritz reached first on a Titan error. Armes then scored on a wild pitch, moving Fritz to third. Another wild pitch came soon after, but Wilson recovered the ball and threw to Bilvado covering the plate to tag out Armes trying to score.
“I thought Burroughs was a great team. Very-well coached,” Franklin said.
After defeating the Titans, the Bears picked up an 8-3 victory over visiting Covina in a Dave Moore Tournament game on Feb. 17 as junior Kenny Montgomery pitched a complete game with three strikeouts, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks.
Senior Tommy Vournas went 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, four RBIs, a run and a stolen base, Fritz went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, and junior Kyle Smith went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. Chapman registered a hit, two stolen bases and a run, Perez contributed a hit, an RBI and a run, and sophomore Zack Guevara produced a hit, an RBI and a stolen base. Sophomore Logan Drossin scored once, while freshman Elliot Ross stole a base.
Burroughs posted a 9-2 tournament victory at South El Monte on Feb. 17 as senior Elvis Moreno pitched a complete game with three strikeouts, allowing just two unearned runs on four hits and no walks.
Perez went 2-for-4 with a double, three runs and an RBI, Fritz went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run, and Chapman and Ross each recorded a double, two stolen bases and a walk. Armes finished with a hit, an RBI and a walk, Smith registered a hit and an RBI, and senior Brian Martinez and Guevara each contributed a base hit. Whittekiend walked once and scored a run, Drossin walked once and stole a base, and senior Dylan Conahan tallied an RBI.
Burroughs (3-0 overall) will open Pacific League action by hosting Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta on Feb. 27 at 3:45 p.m. before visiting the Falcons on March 1.
BURBANK
The Bulldogs lost to visiting Salesian High of Los Angeles 3-1 in a nonleague game on Feb. 25. Individual statistics were not reported to the Burbank Leader.
The Bulldogs (0-3) will open Pacific League action at Arcadia on Feb. 28 at 3:15 p.m. before hosting the Apaches on March 1.
First published in the February 24 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
