Buchanan, La Cañada baseball continue roll
Four first-run innings runs and a dominant effort from La Cañada High baseball starting pitcher Connor Buchanan proved a successful formula Saturday afternoon.
Though the Spartans’ Rio Hondo League contest versus host South Pasadena had a laid back feel, La Cañada continued its surprising roll this season with a 5-0 victory.
The triumph was the seventh in a row for the CIF Southern Section Division V second-ranked Spartans (17-5, 9-0), who clinched the league crown outright.
“It helps to start off with four runs all-around,” La Cañada Coach Matt Whisenant said. “In regards to our confidence, the early offense helps our confidence, helps relax our pitcher and let our defense play behind him and he did a pretty darn good job of that.”
Buchanan was on his game even when his defense had lapses.
The sophomore tossed six innings of shutout baseball with 10 strikeouts as he boasted two innings with three punchouts.
Buchanan flirted with a no-hitter before South Pasadena’s Kyle Ninomiya broke up the bid with a lead-off double in the top of the sixth inning.
Right after the hit, though, Buchanan fielded a hard-hit comebacker that started a bizarre, but effective 1-5-6-3 double play.
“My pitches were working really well and I was able to locate and I was able to throw my change-up for a strike,” Buchanan said. “I was a little disappointed to lose the no-hitter but, hey, we got him on the double play.”
South Pasadena’s Dylan Benton took two bases in the second inning with one out on a swinging strikeout where he reached first base on a wild pitch and then advanced to second on a throwing error.
Buchanan responded to the threat by coaxing a soft line drive out to first followed by an inning-ending strikeout as he finished with three punchouts in the frame.
In the fifth, Benton was again the catalyst as he reached first base on an infield error and took second on a throwing error on the same play with no outs.
Like the second inning, Buchanan responded with three strikeouts to escape unharmed. Buchanan was pulled before the seventh in favor of reliever Ryan Graves, who allowed one hit but no runs in the game’s final inning.
As for the Spartans offense, the game started in fine fashion as a leadoff double from Conner Schulz was immediately cashed in on a run-scoring single from Max Umland as La Cañada took a 1-0 lead two batters in.
Matthew Sox followed with a double and he and Umland were driven in on a single from Tristan Kalnins.
As for Kalnins, he advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly from Buchanan to complete La Cañada’s scoring as it led, 4-0, after half an inning.
The Spartans added a run in the second inning when Kyle Mysliviec, who was hit by a pitch, stole third base with two outs and scored when the throw down to the bag sailed into left field.
Though La Cañada placed at least one runner in scoring position in four of the game’s final five innings, a perhaps satisfied Spartans team did not add to its total.
“We came in knowing that this was a game that we had to take seriously and then after the four runs, we kind of settled down a little bit,” Kalnins said. “We relaxed a bit.”
Twitter: @campadresports
