Nine-run first for Crescenta Valley baseball leads to lopsided win over Burroughs
Trevor Beer had quite the unusual first inning.
The standout junior pitcher on the Crescenta Valley High baseball team was part of a huge top half of the inning in which the Falcons scored nine runs.
Before he threw his first pitch, he had already batted twice.
Beer then proceeded to toss a one-hit shutout in which he struck out nine on Friday to propel Crescenta Valley to a convincing 10-0 five-inning Pacific League win against Burroughs.
Crescenta Valley (24-1, 12-0 in league) won its 22nd game in a row and inched closer to a second straight league championship after sharing it with Burroughs last season. The Falcons, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division II behind St. John Bosco, hold a one-game lead over Arcadia with two meetings with the rival Apaches on deck.
“It’s fun to get an early lead like that and I’m not going to complain about support like that,” said Beer, a left-hander. “During the inning, I went to throw in the bullpen just to try to stay sharp.”
Crescenta Valley sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, which lasted almost 40 minutes. The Falcons nearly came away with no runs in the first, but an error by the Burroughs shortstop on what looked to be an inning-ending double play extended the inning. The Falcons took advantage of the miscue to make quick work of the Indians (12-12, 7-5), who have locked up at least fourth place in league and are two games behind rival Burbank (9-3 in league), which is in third place.
“We didn’t see that coming and he’s one of their best players,” Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said. “We nearly came away with nothing and then our guys got the second chance, stayed patient and put the ball in play.”
Max Meyer hit a bases-clearing double to right-center field to make it 4-0. A bunt single by Charles Weinmann gave Crescenta Valley a 5-0 cushion. Later in the inning, Beer had a two-run single to extend the lead to 9-0. Beer walked in his first plate appearance and scored on Meyer’s double.
Crescenta Valley, which posted a 4-0 win against Burroughs on Tuesday, closed out the scoring in the fourth on a run-scoring groundout by Jaimy Blank.
Beer struck out two in the first and second and then struck out the side in the third.
Beer lost his bid for a no-hitter when Riley Hooper led off the fourth with a sharp single to right.
Burroughs, which came into play Friday in fourth place, had its best scoring chance in the fifth. The first two batters reached base via a walk and hit by pitch before Beer closed it out with a strikeout, fly ball and a grounder.
“He wasn’t as sharp as normal, but the strike zone moved a little bit,” Torres said. “He went out there and did what he had to do.”
Burroughs Coach Craig Sherwood, who has guided the Indians to two straight league championships, said the Indians couldn’t recover from the rough first inning.
“The ball was smoked and he had a tough time picking it,” Sherwood said of the error. “We just didn’t help ourselves. We had guys on base with two outs and we just couldn’t get that hit.
“It just got out of control.”
Crescenta Valley will be at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Arcadia at Stengel Field before traveling to Arcadia at 7 Friday.
Burroughs will be at Burbank at 7 p.m. Tuesday before returning home to face Burbank at 6 Friday.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
