Burroughs Baseball Beats Pasadena 10-3 in Pacific League

Burroughs High’s baseball team wasted no time setting the tone Friday night, sending nine batters to the plate in the first inning and building a lead Pasadena never threatened to overcome. The Bears beat the Bulldogs 10-3 at home in a Pacific League contest that pushed Burroughs to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play.

The six-run first inning did most of the damage. Junior Elliot Ross opened the frame with a bloop double to left field, and the Bears kept rolling from there. Back-to-back walks to seniors Slater Mersola and Devin Whittiekiend loaded the bases, and a Jack Smith infield hit brought in the first run. Junior Jake Rauenswinder then drove a triple to right center that cleared the bases, scoring three. Senior Thomas Martin added a sacrifice fly to right, and junior Kayson Montgomery ripped a double down the right-field line and scored on a wild pitch. Senior Logan Drossin capped the inning with a two-out triple to right center.

From the six-run hole, Pasadena showed some fight. The Bulldogs pulled back three runs across the second and third innings, including an RBI single to right by Jackson Bradley in the second and an RBI single by Aaron Martinez plus a run-tallying double from Harrison Gwaltney in the third. That made it 6-3, but the rally stalled there.

Montgomery, the junior right-hander who also produced at the plate, held Pasadena in check after the third. He finished with seven strikeouts across five and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. Four of those strikeouts came after the third inning. Senior Jack Guest came on in relief and worked one and one-third frames, striking out three while walking three.

Burroughs extended the lead in the fifth when the Bears sent seven batters to the plate. Montgomery’s RBI single to left field was the key hit in a three-run frame that pushed the advantage to 9-3. The Bears added one more in the sixth on a two-out single by Smith and a Rauenswinder double to right.

Rauenswinder finished the night with a double, a triple, and four RBIs. Ross went two-for-two with a pair of doubles. Montgomery contributed the double and an RBI single in addition to his work on the mound. Senior Zack Guevara reached base in the third and stole both second and third but didn’t score.

Head coach Matt Magallon liked what he saw from his club. “I thought we played well and played to the standard that we have set,” he said. “I think this is what Burroughs baseball is. We will pitch and throw strikes. We will hit and put pressure on teams. It’s fun to watch.”

Pasadena dropped to 1-6 on the season and 0-2 in Pacific League play.

The game played out the way Magallon’s team has operated through most of the early season. Burroughs has built its record on early offensive pressure and consistent pitching. The Bears have won four of their first five games and hold a clean 2-0 mark as league play deepens. Pasadena, meanwhile, is still searching for its footing, with six losses in seven outings.

The Bears will look to keep the momentum going in their next league matchup as the Pacific League race takes shape through the spring.