On Friday, May 1, varsity baseball (8-2) came out victorious with a 2-1 score against Capuchino High School under the lights of Oracle Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants.
The game was hard-fought until the very last out. Junior pitcher Mark O’Grady brought in junior second baseman Charlie Cheng on an RBI (run batted in) double in the third inning, tying the game 1-1. Neither team put another run on the board until the seventh and final inning, when Cheng hit a sacrifice bunt, allowing senior right fielder Liam Philibosian to score from third base.
Senior center fielder Grayson Howard, who had a single and a triple during the game, said playing at Oracle Park was an incredible experience.
“Getting a win feels amazing, especially at Oracle,” Howard said. “Crazy experience, one of the best moments of my life, for sure. A little sentimental, it’s hard knowing that it’s the last time playing here, but I’ll be back here for some more Giants games.”
Philibosian, who had two singles in the game, shared similar sentiments about the experience.
“It’s honestly a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Philibosian said. “You just look out — I mean, I play outfield, so I just see everything around me, and it’s crazy to see.”
Head coach Shawn Scott said he also appreciated the experience, especially when reflecting on the historical rivalry between Burlingame and Capuchino.
“It does [feel different to win here],” Scott said. “For this being a league game and going up against one of our league rivals from the past eight to 10 years due to how good their program is, and how steady our program has been.”
Philibosian said the team went into the game well-practiced, coming off a two-game winning streak and having recently swept Sequoia and Hillsdale High School, meaning they beat those schools in both games they played against them.
“We were really confident,” Philibosian said. “For the past couple weeks, we had great energy, [we have the] same squad as last year, a couple new guys, and we’re just bringing that same energy.”
Howard said the team went into the game confident, but faced some difficulties throughout.
“Intensity was high, obviously, coming off of a big win streak and looking for that third sweep,” Howard said. “So intensity was high, confidence was up. I think there were times where our composure wasn’t caught up to the moment, and I think that’s what kept it close. I think in the end it came down to the little things and the fundamentals of getting guys over and all that.”
Scott said some of these difficulties were reflected in the Panthers’ miscommunication during the game.
“We missed a lot of signs tonight, seeing signs that weren’t there,” Scott said. “So that’s more or less guys anticipating the wrong things.”
Howard said that the significance of the game being at Oracle Park may have contributed to these mistakes.
“I think that going into this, some players may be thinking the moment was bigger than what it was, and they kind of got caught up in their surroundings,” Howard said. “And so I think keeping that composure would have been huge.”
However, Howard acknowledged that various aspects of the Panthers’ play, especially their defense, remained solid and composed throughout the game. O’Grady pitched five scoreless innings and gave up only one run, and he was relieved by junior pitcher Nash Trautwein in the bottom of the seventh inning to close out the game. The three Mustang batters Trautwein faced got out, the last one by strikeout, sealing the Panthers’ victory.
“Obviously, Mark O’Grady shoving on the mound, only allowing one run, was competing the whole game, so I feel like everyone was definitely in the game, and for the most part, composed,” Howard said.
Burlingame is currently in first place in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division, putting the Panthers in a good spot as the end of the season draws closer.
“I think we’re gonna bring great energy [to the playoffs], and we’re gonna attack all the teams that come at us, and I think we could compete with any team,” Philibosian said.
Looking towards the end of the season, Scott said he feels good about the team’s potential to be a strong competitor during the playoffs.
“I feel good, as long as we can catch and throw the baseball and produce some runs,” Scott said. “I think our pitching will hold us in games, and our defense will definitely help us in games as well.”
