Crescenta Valley Beats Burroughs Baseball 3-2

Crescenta Valley handed John Burroughs High a 3-2 loss Tuesday night at Stengel Field, ending the Bears’ five-game winning streak and handing the Falcons their 12th straight Pacific League win.

The defeat stings because Burroughs had chances. Three straight innings, the fifth, sixth, and seventh, each gave the Bears a legitimate shot to tie or go ahead, and each time the Falcons shut them down without giving up a run.

Burroughs head coach Matt Magallon didn’t sugarcoat it.

“I saw us not capitalize on opportunities. It’s baseball. That’s why it’s the best game in the world,” Magallon said. “We left a small village on the bases today on what needs to be worked on and be ready Friday.”

That Friday rematch tips off at 6:30 p.m. at the Bears’ home field, and given how tight this one was, expect another grinder.

Crescenta Valley did its damage early. The Falcons, now 17-2 overall and 11-0 in league, piled up all three of their runs in the first inning. Sophomore Ryan Shabazian walked to open the frame and moved to second on an infield hit by senior Dante Cerecedes. One out later, junior Gunnar Herman got a fastball from Burroughs starter Devin Whittekiend and drove it over the right field fence for a three-run homer. That 3-0 lead held all night.

Whittekiend worked three and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits while striking out three and walking three. Senior Jack Guest came out of the bullpen and struck out five across two innings of work, keeping Burroughs within reach.

The Bears, now 17-4 overall and 10-1 in league, clawed back in the third. Senior Zack Guevara singled to right field and eventually scored on a double by junior Elliot Ross. Senior Logan Drossin then slashed a single to left that drove in another run, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

That’s where the scoring stopped.

In the fifth, Guevara reached on an infield single with two outs and stole both second and third. Ross drew a walk and swiped second. But Drossin fouled out to first base and the threat died. Junior Elliot Ross, when asked about the loss, kept it short. “It just didn’t go our way,” Ross said. “That’s baseball.”

The sixth inning was the one that felt most costly. Senior Jack Smith nudged a single to right and junior Jake Rauenswinder followed with a base hit that put runners on second and third with one out. A passed ball moved both runners up, which should have set the table for at least a tie. Instead, senior Thomas Martin struck out looking and junior Slater Mersola lined out to right to end the inning.

Burroughs loaded the bases in the seventh. Guevara walked. Ross walked. Drossin got hit by a pitch from Crescenta Valley junior reliever Cole Richards, and suddenly it looked like the Bears would finally break through. Richards didn’t flinch. He struck out Whittekiend swinging, then got Smith to miss on a changeup for the final out.

Three innings. Six baserunners between the fifth and seventh alone, more if you count the sixth. Zero runs. That’s the whole story of Tuesday night.

The Bears entered the game riding a five-game winning streak and carry a strong 17-4 record into the rest of the league schedule. Losing to Crescenta Valley isn’t a disaster, especially with a rematch coming in three days. The Falcons are the class of the Pacific League right now, and this game went to the wire despite Burroughs leaving runner after runner on base.

Magallon’s message after the game pointed straight at Friday. The Bears know what they left out there, and the coaching staff won’t let them forget it before the next first pitch. Crescenta Valley will come into that game at 11-0 in league, so a Burroughs win would tighten the standings considerably and give the Bears momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Both programs have the talent to make a deep playoff run, and Friday night’s meeting at Burroughs’ home field gives the Bears a chance to even the season series and prove they can close out the tight spots that got away from them this week.