Varsity baseball lost to Sequoia High School 5-2 at home on Wednesday, March 26, dropping to 1-2 in Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division play.
The Panthers got off to a quick start against the Ravens, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The second run was an RBI single into left field by junior right fielder Liam Philibosian, which scored junior left fielder Drew Gall.
The offense translated to excellent defense in the top of the second, when junior right fielder Kai Watanabe made a sliding catch along the right field foul line for the inning’s third out.
That wasn’t the only impressive defensive play against the Ravens. Senior catcher Roberto Beltranena threw out a Sequoia player trying to steal second base and help end a scoring threat. For Beltranena, the key to executing such a pivotal play was anticipating the baserunners and timing his throw.
“Knowing when they go for the double steal like that, you know the second run on first is gonna get a worse jump, because he has to wait for the guy in front of him,” Beltranena said.
However, in the top of the third inning, Sequoia tied the game with a single into left field and then one into center.
In the top of the fourth inning, junior right-handed pitcher Ea Leialoha relieved sophomore starter Nash Trautwein. The game remained tied into the seventh inning as the Panthers’ offense struggled against Sequoia’s pitching, recording just three hits all afternoon.
“After the first inning, [Sequoia’s pitcher] settled down, [he] was throwing a bunch of first pitch strikes. We were swinging at them a little bit, but we just weren’t hitting barrels off and we were a little late,” Gall said.
In the top of the seventh inning, Sequoia pulled away with a two-run double, and then another RBI double into deep left field, giving the Ravens a 5-2 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
“It was just leaving balls up, better location. And then, even still, [Leialoha] was hitting his spots, but [Sequoia] was just going down getting it. Nothing you can do about that,” Beltranena said.
Despite the loss, Beltranena felt like the team battled and made some positive strides.
“That first inning, we put things together. Grayson [Howard] being our lead-off guy, getting up there, still kind of playing hurt, but he’s always out there, grinding every day,” Beltranena said.
Going forward, Beltranena hopes to continue improving the team’s communication, execution, and fundamentals in practice before their next few matchups.
“Just situational stuff, talking, communication, especially with a team like this. A lot of younger guys, [we] just got to work more as a team, stay together,” Beltranena said.
The Panthers are now 5-4 overall and sixth out of eight teams in the PAL standings. Burlingame won’t have to wait long for a rematch against the Ravens, as the squad will hit the road to play Sequoia again on Friday, March 28.
