On April 29, the Bonita Vista High (BVH) boys’ varsity baseball team faced the Eastlake High School (EHS) Titans for their first rivalry game of the season. Despite all the hard work and preparation that BVH put into the game, the Barons unfortunately experienced a devastating loss against the Titans, with a final score of 1-10. However, BVH Head Coach Dave Palet remains optimistic and sees this defeat as a challenge that the team will overcome. He assures everyone that they will bounce back stronger than ever.
“We are not done yet, and still have a lot more to do. These are our biggest rivals and we are not going to let them beat us every game. We are very capable of turning this around,” Palet said.
The game started off with a lot of excitement and encouragement from the Barons as they threw the opening pitch. Despite starting with a 0-2 count, BVH gave up a hit to right field. This would mark the start of a strong inning for the Titans. EHS managed to steal second base, putting a runner in a scoring position with no outs. BVH secured two outs in a row in an attempt to escape the inning unharmed, but EHS catcher and senior Noah Betanco (13) hit a sharp single down the third base line, scoring a run and getting the Titans on the board.
The Barons are now up to bat in the bottom of the first inning. Unfortunately for the Barons, they could not make contact with the ball and all three batters went down, ending the first inning. Assistant Coach Dale Downing noted that BVH’s lack of confidence during the inning was a factor in the team’s shaky start.
“I believe our team did not start off on the right foot because of all the chirping going on between the dugouts. I think this was definitely a factor that messed with our players mentally,” Downing said.
BVH seemed to be on a roll after striking out the first two batters of the second inning, but the Titans would take third base after a mistake on the Barons’ behalf. The Barons were aiming to keep the score at 0-1, but EHS outfielder and senior Jacob May (28) stepped up to the plate and hit a double to center field, scoring a run and changing the game to 0-2. The situation worsened for the Barons when they walked the next two batters, loading the bases for the Titans. Then, Betanco hit a grandslam on a full count, adding four more runs and widening the score to 0-6.
“The game didn’t go how we intended at all, but that’s just a part of the game. You never know what’s going to happen,” Palet said.
The game kept going as the Barons finally broke free from their hitting slump when BVH catcher and senior Ismael Castanon (11) smacked a single to center field, igniting the Barons’ spirits. However, the team’s luck quickly turned sour as the bats went cold once again, allowing the Titans to take down the next three batters and bring the inning to a close.
“The league games are the most important games of the season for both of us. Their game was on point and we would not expect anything less from them,” Palet said.
As the game reaches the third inning, the Barons sadly give up another hit, leading to a switch in the pitching for BVH. Everything seems to be going well until the Barons make an error at second base, giving the Titans another chance to score. The Barons had a strong start in the third inning with a ground rule double by BVH outfielder and senior Ty Vann (12), putting a runner in scoring position. A mistake by the Titans left runners at the corners, allowing BVH outfielder and senior Harry Shin (3) to score the first run with a blooper single. However, this was the only run the Barons scored in the game. Shin remains determined to beat EHS this season.
“We only scored once the entire game, but we gave it our all. EHS is a good team, but we will make sure to beat them on their turf next time,” Shin said.
The Titans showed just as much enthusiasm as the Barons did when EHS outfielder and junior Angel Laya (23) kicked off the inning with a leadoff triple to right field, resulting in another BVH pitching change. The Barons managed to strikeout the following two batters, but ended up giving away another run due to a wild pitch.
“We’ve been great defensively this season, but it’s just the little things that play against us,” Downing said.
EHS appeared to be on the verge of making another out, but they lost sight of a pop-up in the bright sun. This mistake gave BVH the opportunity to reach first base. Just when it seemed like the Barons had a chance to turn things around, BVH’s second baseman and freshman Liam Lee (17) came through with a powerful hit to center field, advancing the runner to third base. However, the Barons’ hopes were dashed when their runner on third got trapped in a pickle and was tagged out. This turn of events allowed the Titans to escape the inning unscathed.
“Even though we were down by a lot, these boys did not give up. They are a family and do not give up when things are not going their way,” Downing said.
The Titans’ luck remained unscathed as they began the inning with another double from Laya. The Barons managed to strike out the following batter, hoping to shift the momentum in their favor. However, their efforts fell short when EHS third baseman and junior Kalani Jauregui (3) hit a powerful two-run homer to center field, increasing the score to 1-10.
“We have played them so many times that I think it’s natural for them to know where the ball falls in the zone,” Shin said.
The Barons were ready to step up to the plate and try to turn the game around. Things were looking promising when they had runners on the corners with one out, but unfortunately, their hopes were dashed when they hit into a double play to close the inning.
“It seemed like we did not have anything in the tank today. But we will come back and make sure this does not happen again,” Shin said.
Despite BVH’s best efforts and the overwhelming support from the crowd, the team unfortunately experienced a devastating loss against EHS, with a final score of 1-10. BVH fought until the very end, but instead of dwelling on the defeat, Palet emphasizes that this setback presents a chance for the team to grow and improve. He goes on to highlight that their performance this season has been significantly better than the previous year.
“I think we are completely different from last season. This team is so much better, in my opinion. They have all gained a lot more confidence and work ethic than they actually need. I believe that paying a little more attention to detail right now will be the game changer for us.,” Palet said.
