Reporting from Burbank — Burbank High’s baseball team put itself in a position to win Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division IV second-round playoff game.
Trailing Capistrano Valley Christian by three runs heading into the seventh inning, the Bulldogs were down to their last three outs. But Burbank battled back with a torrid comeback in its final at-bats.
The Bulldogs scored two runs to get within one of the lead and had the potential tying run on third base and the winning run on second with no outs.
However, a back-breaking double play that cut down a runner at home stymied the comeback and a fly-out ended the rally, as Burbank fell short against the visiting Eagles, 6-5.
The loss ended the season for Burbank (15-10), the third-place team from the Pacific League that enjoyed its deepest playoff run in decades.
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Burbank’s Branden Phillips jumps at the back fence to make a hit on a deep fly ball hit by Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s center fielder Branden Phillips dives and gets his glove to a well hit ball by Capistrano Valley Christian but when he hit the ground the fall came out of his glove in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s center fielder Branden Phillips dives and gets his glove to a well hit ball by Capistrano Valley Christian but when he hit the ground the fall came out of his glove in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s head coach Robert Hart, on right, with his third base coach, yells at the home plate umpire saying “there are bad days, and you are having one” after disputing pitches that looked like strikes but called balls during the game against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Colby Vosgien in the second inning against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Branden Phillips slides under Capistrano Valley Christian’s Zack Mendez to avoid being tagged in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Davis Mieliwocii throws the ball home for a force out against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Maxwel Meltzer makes an infield play against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Henry Leake pitches in the fourth inning against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s pitcher Henry Leake thanks right fielder teammate Christian Guerra after Guerra made a great catch in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Maxwel Meltzer makes a play on an infield ground ball hit by Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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The Burbank baseball team, with their lucky Timberland in their grasp, holds it up high before their game against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Jonathan Castaneda makes a play at second base against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Colby Vosgien pitches in the first inning against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Jonathan Castaneda throws out Capistrano Valley Christian at first base in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Jonathan Castaneda makes an infield play on a hit by Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Burbank’s Henry Leake makes a catch near the warning track against Capistrano Valley Christian in second round of CIF playoffs at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 23, 2017. Burbank nearly came back to win the game in the seventh inning, but fell short and lost 6-5. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
“I am just so proud of these guys and what they were able to accomplish this season,” said Burbank second baseman Jonathan Castaneda, who was two for four with a run scored and a run batted in. “We were able to go further in the playoffs than any team in who knows how long in this program.
“This group of guys worked very hard to make this season a success and I just love them all.”
Capistrano Valley Christian (20-7), the No. 4 seed and champion of the San Joaquin League, looked to have things in control heading into the bottom of the seventh inning with a 6-3 lead.
The Eagles brought in their fourth pitcher of the day, UC Irvine commit Andre Antone, to work the seventh inning and had no one throwing in the bullpen. Burbank right fielder Chris Minnick (two for four) greeted Antone with a double to left field. Left fielder Henry Leake (two for three with an RBI) followed with a single to left and Minnick scored on a chopper through the middle by catcher Matt Shaugabay to make it 6-4.
Antone continued to struggle, surrendering a walk to center fielder Branden Philips (three walks) that loaded the bases and another walk to designated hitter Abiezer Delgado (two walks) to bring the Bulldogs to within one, 6-5, all with no outs. The next batter, first baseman Christian Guerra, hit into a crippling 1-2-3 double play that cut down the potential tying run at home.
“That was probably the worst place the ball could have gone,” Burbank Coach Bob Hart said of the double-play ball. “It just went right to the pitcher and they were able to make the play.
“That is just a good team with some very good players.”
With runners at second and third, Antone induced a fly-out to right field to preserve the win for Capistrano Valley Christian.
“I put him in a real tough spot, but Andre Antone was our preseason projected No. 1 pitcher after a great season last year in which he committed to UCI,” Eagles Coach Clemente Bonilla said. “But we had to shut his arm down because of some tendinitis and he hasn’t thrown that much for us at all.
“He convinced me he wanted the ball in that last inning. Although he hasn’t thrown all year, I told him, ‘Take it.’ We were going to win or lose with him.”
Capistrano Valley Christian took a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and fifth innings. But Burbank knotted the score at 2 with two runs in its half of the fifth. Shortstop Max Meltzer singled through the middle and Castaneda hit a bloop single down the left-field line. Meltzer was plated on a double off the fence in right-center by third baseman Davis Mieliwoki and Castaneda came in on a sacrifice fly to deep left by pitcher Leake.
The Eagles took the lead with two runs in the sixth and added a run in the seventh, 6-3.
Burbank had runners in scoring position in the first, second and fourth innings and came away empty each time.
“What you saw in that seventh evening is the heart this team has shown all year,” Hart said. “The best coaching moments are when you see players rise a little and these guys really did. They rose to the occasion and they almost made it happen.
“I can’t be more proud of this team. It was a nip-and-tuck game and we came out a little short. …That doesn’t change the way I feel about my guys.”
jeffrey.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports
