Alvarez saves day in Indian win, 4-3

Jeff Tully

Sophomore Miguel Alvarez has done just about everything that’s been

asked of him this season.

That has meant playing five positions for the Burroughs High

baseball team and filling in holes whenever he’s needed.

Friday, in a Foothill League game at Burroughs, played in a steady

rain, Alvarez was asked to come up with a key hit in the seventh

inning of a tied game -- and he didn’t disappoint.

Alvarez delivered a one-out bloop single to right field, scoring

Pat Schulthies, to give the Indians a

4-3 cross-town rivalry victory.

In his two previous two at-bats, Alvarez struck out on three

pitches and grounded out to shortstop.

“In my first two at-bats, [Burbank pitcher Jon Bertain] threw me

fastballs,” Alvarez said. “So Coach [Tom Crowther] told me to go the

other way with it if he throws it again. And that’s what I did.”

Crowther said although just a sophomore, Alvarez has been

invaluable to the team.

“In a way, Miguel is like our [most valuable player] this season,”

he said. “The guy has done anything that we asked him to do and he’s

willing to play anywhere.

“We have moved him from the outfield to third and he has played

very well there. This was only his second game starting at third

base.”

Alvarez came up with a fielding gem in the sixth inning to quell a

Burbank (7-12, 3-8) rally. With one out and a runner on second base,

Alvarez made a diving stab on a ground ball to rob Paul Gonzalez of a

base hit. He fired to first for one out and Indian first baseman Mike

Diaz threw out the runner trying to take third.

Despite the damp conditions from rain that pelted the field most

of the game, each team came up with two double plays.

Burbank put pressure on Burroughs (11-10-1, 4-6-1) -- which has

won three of its past four league games -- in the third inning by

scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs got hits from

Bertain and Gonzalez, who also had a run batted in.

Gonzalez was three for four with two RBI and a run scored.

“The guys played their hearts out today,” Burbank Coach Paul

Marietti said.

The Indians tied the score in the fourth on a home run to

left-center field through the rain by Diaz. It was Diaz’s third of

the year.

“We needed this win,” Crowther said. “With four games left, we can

control our own destiny and make the playoffs.”