Burbank Junior Softball All-Stars make dazzling debut
With no District 16 tournament to navigate and a pair of teams opening the Section 2 Junior All-Stars Tournament on Friday, the Burbank Junior All-Stars softball team made its debut Saturday morning at the San Fernando National Little League a little bit late.
Though lacking game experience, Burbank put itself in the best position possible with a resounding 15-5 victory in five innings over San Marino National.
“I wasn’t nervous at all coming in,” Burbank manager Rocco Buffolino said. “The last two weeks we’ve had a bunch of really good practices and scrimmages. I knew if we did what we could do, we’d be fine.”
The win vaulted Burbank into Monday’s championship of the three-team tournament at 5 p.m. at the same venue against District 17’s San Marino or District 51’s Eastern Sierra.
San Marino and Eastern Sierra opened the tournament Friday with San Marino earning a 6-0 victory. The teams will play Sunday in an elimination game with the chance to face Burbank, which, at least going by scores, is an overwhelming favorite.
“We’re set up in a good spot for Monday,” Buffolino said.
A Burbank loss on Monday would force a winner-take-all final on Wednesday at 5 p.m. A Burbank win will propel it to the Junior Division (State) Tournament back at District 16’s Tujunga Little League, which runs from July 8 through July 14 with the Section 2 representative beginning play Sunday, July 9 at 6 p.m.
Annie Buffolino had a big day that included four innings in the circle for the win, two hits, including a home run, and five runs batted in. Makenna Palamara added three hits and two RBI, Daniella Gray had a hit, three walks, three runs and an RBI, Kaelyn Freed had two hits and two RBI and Victoria Sanchez tallied two hits, too. Kim Rudder threw a scoreless fifth inning.
Burbank quickly established a 5-0 lead.
“We were really cruising through the first two,” Buffolino said.
But then came the third inning, which would prove to be a roller coaster and a turning point.
San Marino National evened the game with five runs in the top of the third, thanks in part to multiple errors, Buffolino said.
“We kind of booted the ball,” he said.
But then District 16 struck back emphatically in the bottom of the third with six runs to essentially put the game away not long after it seemed in peril.
“They just showed some kind of heart and came right back and put six on them,” Buffolino said. “After that six, you could see the momentum had really changed.”
The game-winning shot was delivered by Annie Buffolino, who hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third to put the designated home team ahead, 8-5.
“We’re a pretty good hitting team,” the elder Buffolino said. “They swing the bats pretty well.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
