Burbank Junior baseball forces winner-take-all championship game
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LA CRESCENTA – One more game will be needed to determine ownership of the Little League Junior Baseball District 16 All-Star championship.
Visiting Burbank ensured so on a sweltering Saturday morning as it held on for a 6-4 victory over Crescenta Valley at Dunsmore Park.
The triumph evened the best-of-three-game series between the neighbors at one game each as Crescenta Valley was victorious Friday evening, 7-1.
The squads return to Dunsmore on Sunday at 6 p.m. for the right to claim the title and earn advancement to the Section 2 Tournament in Granada Hills, beginning Friday.
“Today, it was really all about hitting,” Burbank Coach Chris Vanole said. “It’s simple. If we hit, we win. If we don’t, like Friday, then we lose.”
For six innings, Burbank slowly built its lead, rallying from an early two-run deficit to take a 6-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Media City squad rode the arm of Tanner Vanole, who had surrendered two runs through six innings.
Vanole, though, hit his 95-pitch count in the top of the seventh after allowing a single to No. 8 hitter Nick Goethals and a walk to No. 9 Aaron Kim.
Vanole was pulled in favor of Rory Freck and Crescenta Valley made its last surge.
The home team loaded the bases with a walk with no outs, but struck out and then hit into a run-scoring 4-6 fielder’s choice from Kai Purdy-Burton to pull within 6-3 with two outs and runners on the corners.
Crescenta Valley’s Quinn Deitch, who finished two for four with one run batted in and two stolen bases, kept hope alive with a run-scoring single to center, which was followed by a walk to Will Hardy.
With the bases loaded, two outs and Crescenta Valley suddenly within 6-4, coach Chris Vanole made his second pitching change by bringing in Joseph Estrada.
The reliever needed only one pitch for the save as his first offering was lined into right field and into the glove of Freck, who had just been moved there, for the final out.
Perhaps it was fitting that Estrada saved the day as the starting third baseman carried his team, finishing four for five with two doubles, three runs and two RBI.
“I wasn’t getting nervous in the seventh, it was pissing me off,” Chris Vanole said. “Just throw strikes. A good guy hits .300, that’s three out of 10. The pitcher has the advantage until he starts walking people and it got a lot closer than I liked.”
Before the seventh, Burbank had been in control for the previous few innings.
Burbank scored three runs in the fourth to pull ahead, 4-2, with Estrada driving in two runs on a double and later scoring on a single from Jake Forss.
The visitors scored two more runs in the sixth on a fielder’s choice from Geo Hernandez, who later crossed home plate due to a throwing error.
Burbank plated its first run when Freck knocked in Estrada on a fielder’s choice in the third to pull the visitors within 2-1.
Prior to the seventh, Crescenta Valley’s only other offense came in the first inning.
A leadoff single from Isaac Sung was immediately cashed in on a subsequent double from Alex Concepcion (two for four with a double, RBI and run scored), who eventually scored on a steal of home plate.
Though Crescenta Valley led, 2-0, the squad went cold offensively against Vanole, (four runs allowed in six innings off seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks) and was retired in order in two of the next three innings.
“In that last inning, we battled and had good at-bats and I don’t think we did that for most of the game,” Crescenta Valley coach David Kim said. “We sat back too much and weren’t aggressive at the plate. Give credit to Burbank and its pitcher because they fought back hard after being down, 2-0.
“I thought we got those competitive juices going in the seventh and we need to have that happen earlier for us. We’ll get one more chance.”
