The baseball team beat the Sequoia Ravens 5-3 on Wednesday afternoon, improving their overall record to 15-6. Their conference record now stands at 7-1, maintaining their first place status in PAL.
Junior pitcher Wes Peterson started out strong, striking out two batters in a quick top of the first inning where he had sharp command of his fastball and slider. The Sequoia pitcher responded with an equally efficient bottom of the first, getting three consecutive outs from the top of the Bears’ lineup.
Going into the second, Peterson got into hot water by letting Sequoia’s pitcher reach base on an error. He then walked their catcher and gave up a single to their third baseman to load the bases with no outs. Peterson then spiked a ball in the dirt that rolled away from junior catcher Jack Willbanks, allowing the Ravens to score. Although he struck out the following batter, their right fielder hit a single down the middle to allow both runners to find home, and put Sequoia ahead 3-0. Peterson eventually put an end to the inning, but not before giving up five baserunners.
The Bears staged their comeback in the bottom of the fourth, when senior right fielder Jack Molise worked a walk and advanced to second off of senior shortstop Will Roberts’ infield single. Junior designated hitter MJ Ellazar then blasted a double to right field to score both runners, cutting the deficit to one run. Junior third baseman Mastaka Shudo and Willbanks both walked, loading the bases for left fielder and ninth place hitter Gianni Olivero. He lined a single to center, scoring Ellazar and Shudo to put M-A on top 4-3.
Although Sequoia would get out of the inning without allowing any more runs, the damage was done. M-A had taken the lead and they would not relinquish it for the rest of the game.
Senior Anthony Kabrich replaced Peterson as the new pitcher in the top of the fourth and pitched two quiet innings, not giving up a baserunner and striking out one.
Some chaos ensued in the top of the sixth when a Sequoia batter singled, then shortly followed up by stealing second. He advanced to third on Kabrich’s wild pitch, and when Willbanks threw the ball into left field in an effort to throw him out, he broke for home plate. However, the ball was relayed home in time for him to be cut down at the plate, erasing any threat of Sequoia taking the lead.
The Bears utilized their momentum in the bottom half of the inning when senior pinch hitter JT Anderson scored on Olivero’s double. Senior first baseman and closer Jimmy Zaharias pitched a clean bottom of the seventh, striking out two and securing the Bears’ victory.
“I’m really trying to stop any thoughts that aren’t going to help me and just focusing on what pitch type I want to execute,” Zaharias said.
The Bears return to the home field to play The King’s Academy this Wednesday at 4 p.m.
