Kukta takes fight out of Glendale

Charles Rich

An errant bat knocked out Burbank High baseball starting pitcher Matt

Kukta earlier this season.

But in a nonleague game on Monday, Glendale High couldn’t knock

out Kukta.

Less than a week after being struck by an aluminum bat while

standing in the on-deck circle during a practice, Kukta came back to

supply the knockout punch.

Kukta scattered five hits and struck out four in a complete-game

effort to lead Burbank to a 3-0 win against host Glendale in a San

Fernando Valley Tournament game.

The Nitros (0-1) squandered several early chances and had the

tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh when Kukta got

Erik Cardenas to hit into a game-ending double play. Not a bad effort

for somebody who had just been cleared to compete by his doctor.

“I was told that I would start, and I was able to throw strikes,”

said Kukta, who suffered a minor concussion after being hit on right

cheek by the bat. “I felt the side effects the first 24 hours.

“[Monday] I got better acquainted with the mound, and I just

didn’t want to feel any further sideeffects.”

Kukta (1-0) retired 10 in a row and 14 of 15 before the junior

left-hander wriggled out of a jam.

Glendale got a respectable effort from sophomore starting pitcher

Jesse Meaux (0-1). The right-hander struck out five in six innings

before being replaced by John Solis.

“I made a few mistakes,” Meaux said. “I could have done a better

job hitting spots, and I tried to stay strong by not cruising.

“We want to be more aggressive on offense and we will do a lot of

learning.”

Meaux induced Burbank (2-0) into three double plays. It wasn’t

enough against a Burbank squad that has already doubled its win

output following a 1-22 season last year.

Burbank took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a chopper by No. 9

hitter Chris Seip over third baseman Zeke Torres that scored Kukta.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Seip and

a Glendale error.

Burbank interim Coach Dan Mitchell said those things happened

against Burbank last year, but that’s not necessarily the case

anymore.

“We are just beginning and we have talent,” said Mitchell, whose

team opened the season with an 8-6 tournament win against visiting

Antelope Valley on Saturday. “It’s great to win more games than last

year, but we have some goals, like going .500 in the Foothill

League.”

“Kukta’s delivery was phenomenal, and I went out there and told

him to have some fun.”

The Nitros got two hits from Chris Perez and one each from Josh

Gonzalez, Cardenas and Ernie Leyba.

Glendale Coach Jay Chadwick said the Nitros lack a power hitter in

the middle of their lineup.

“We don’t have that one guy who can come through,” Chadwick said.

“We squandered chances in the first and second innings, and we aren’t

the kind of team to roll up five runs in one inning.

“Burbank doubled themselves up three times, and you should come

out ahead with those things going your way.

“We were too quiet at the plate. We made contact, but a lot came

of weak grounders.”

The Bulldogs will continue tournament play Saturday with the site

and opponent to be determined.