Burbank High Can't Get Pass CV

BASEBALL: Surging Falcons hand Bulldogs a Pacific League road setback, 7-5, in a game where tempers flair.

By Gabriel Rizk, Burbank Leader
Published: Tuesday, May 12, 2009

GLENDALE — Lest anyone had forgotten that the defending Pacific League champions weren’t out of the hunt just yet, the Crescenta Valley baseball team has been busy over the month of May reminding its competition that the chase for the league title is far from over.For Burbank, it is battling to stay in postseason contention in a league that has become extremely tight the last few weeks.Going back to the first of the month, the Falcons have strung together wins against the same three teams that sent them spiraling into a three-game skid and under .500 in league as of April 3.Wins over Burroughs, Pasadena and now the Bulldogs, 7-5, on Saturday night at Stengel Field, have catapulted Crescenta Valley back into the title mix.“This gives a chance,” Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said. “Three weeks ago we were dead, everyone felt we were, and the kids have done a good job.”There was no love lost between the Falcons and Bulldogs on Saturday. Tensions simmered and came to a head following some physicality on a pickoff play at first base that ended the sixth inning.A Burbank player and at least two coaches, including head Coach Bob Hart, were ejected from the game after a heated exchange with the umpiring crew.But the game was far from over at that point, as the Bulldogs mounted a two-out rally in the seventh from down, 7-4.Shortstop Lonnie Kauppila, who played for Crescenta Valley last season before transferring to Burbank, singled on a high chopper to the left side of the infield and scored on an infield hit by David Goldberg.With runners on first and third and the go-ahead run at the plate, Falcons reliever Sean Elliott ended the game on a strikeout and preserved the win for starter Jake Lehne (four innings pitched, three earned runs, eight

strikeouts).“Everywhere, things got a little crazy [at the end],” said Elliott, who allowed just two hits over the last three innings. “I knew that one run that scored didn’t matter, even though [the Bulldogs] were acting like it was a walk off. I just wanted to close it out. It was a big win for Jake — he pitched really well.”Burbank scored the first run of the game in the first inning on a single to right field by Goldberg.Kauppila (three for four) put the Bulldogs ahead, 3-2, with a two-run home run in the top of the third inning. It was the junior’s 12th homer of the season.Crescenta Valley countered in the bottom of the fourth with a five-run rally, beginning when Edward Lee scored on an error to tie the game at 3.With one out, Elliott Surrey (two for four) singled in Zack Torres, Joe Sedano doubled, Troy Mulcahey singled in Surrey and Troy Prasertsit singled in Sedano, who was three for four with two doubles.Matt Ashby then singled to load the bases and the Falcons went up, 7-3, on a walk to Brandt Bowers.“Throughout the year, we haven’t been able to string hits together,” said Mulcahey, who went two for three with a double. “We just came to play and we got a lot of hits in a row. That’s our key.”Kauppila came up big again in the fifth inning, doubling in Taylor.Taylor and Goldberg were both two for four.The Bulldogs tied to rally in the seventh, as Goldberg delivered an RBI-single.