Varsity Baseball
By Matthew Ormseth
Who says nobody’s perfect?
On May 14 the Varsity Baseball team made history by defeating our archrival Crescenta Valley to cap a record-setting 14-0 league record. No team had ever gone undefeated in the Pacific League before our Apaches rode the blistering pitching of KJ Edson and the record-breaking offense of Garrett Tuck to a 6-2 victory, completing a perfect record in league play and a stellar 22-3 overall record. Garrett also made history by going two for four with an RBI single. His second hit, a single to right field in the fourth inning, passed Tim Smoley’s record of 106 career hits at AHS. “To be honest, I had no idea about me breaking the record until after the game,” Garrett said. “It felt really good to pass up the great Tim Smoley and all the other Apache alumni.” Apache ace KJ Edson was dominant, pitching a complete game and giving up only two runs and six hits. His command was superb; KJ walked only one batter throughout nine innings.
CV gaffes also contributed to the victory. The Falcons committed four errors in the game, and as Coach Nick Lemas told the Pasadena Star News, “We brought a lot of energy to the game. We were able to get some runs off those mistakes and cash in on those opportunities.” The Apaches scored two runs when Garrett’s grounder with the bases loaded was muffed by CV’s shortstop. His overthrow to second allowed Erik Trask and Jonathan Tom to score. Falcon pitchers were twice on the receiving end of line drives, as Elliot Surrey took a shot to the stomach by Kristian Noguchi and David Whitaker was blasted in the face by a line drive from Erik Trask. Luckily, both pitchers were able to walk off under their own power, although they did not return. The Falcons looked out of sync and frustrated, especially starting pitcher Troy Mulcahey, who was outdueled by KJ and lasted only three innings before being pulled. He had a wild pitch, a passed ball, and multiple pitches in the dirt while giving up three runs in only three innings. “They were intimidated of us because we had been playing well,” Garrett explained, “so we went into the game confident.”
What was the key to a perfect season? “Working towards a common goal kept us focused,” said David Dominguez. “And of course, practice, practice, practice.” It seems all those hours of practice under the sweltering sun and every ounce of sweat have paid off. “We worked hard day in and day out, so it showed on the field,” Garrett said. It certainly did. Not only did the Apaches play with more skill than the Falcons, they also played with more intensity and determination. Kyle Yeh’s grounder to the pitcher with the bases loaded should have been a routine out at the plate, but Kyle Schneider beat the pitcher’s lazy throw for an Apache run.
"You couldn't have asked for a better end than that. It's good to be able to look back and see something that nobody's ever done before,” Coach Lemas told the Pasadena Star News. While the Apaches could have looked back upon their record-setting season with pride, they instead looked forward to the post-season. The team entered CIF-Southern Section play with a first-round game against visiting Valencia of Placentia on May 21 at home. They lost the game, 1-0, on a passed ball with the bases loaded. While their season ended on a disappointing note, their historic season is nothing short of spectacular. When asked if he thought his team would go undefeated at the start of the season, David said, “Honestly, I didn’t really think so. I knew we were a good team, but I never really imagined we would.” The Apaches may have just tried to get on base, but they ended up hitting a home run.
By Matthew Ormseth
Who says nobody’s perfect?
On May 14 the Varsity Baseball team made history by defeating our archrival Crescenta Valley to cap a record-setting 14-0 league record. No team had ever gone undefeated in the Pacific League before our Apaches rode the blistering pitching of KJ Edson and the record-breaking offense of Garrett Tuck to a 6-2 victory, completing a perfect record in league play and a stellar 22-3 overall record. Garrett also made history by going two for four with an RBI single. His second hit, a single to right field in the fourth inning, passed Tim Smoley’s record of 106 career hits at AHS. “To be honest, I had no idea about me breaking the record until after the game,” Garrett said. “It felt really good to pass up the great Tim Smoley and all the other Apache alumni.” Apache ace KJ Edson was dominant, pitching a complete game and giving up only two runs and six hits. His command was superb; KJ walked only one batter throughout nine innings.
CV gaffes also contributed to the victory. The Falcons committed four errors in the game, and as Coach Nick Lemas told the Pasadena Star News, “We brought a lot of energy to the game. We were able to get some runs off those mistakes and cash in on those opportunities.” The Apaches scored two runs when Garrett’s grounder with the bases loaded was muffed by CV’s shortstop. His overthrow to second allowed Erik Trask and Jonathan Tom to score. Falcon pitchers were twice on the receiving end of line drives, as Elliot Surrey took a shot to the stomach by Kristian Noguchi and David Whitaker was blasted in the face by a line drive from Erik Trask. Luckily, both pitchers were able to walk off under their own power, although they did not return. The Falcons looked out of sync and frustrated, especially starting pitcher Troy Mulcahey, who was outdueled by KJ and lasted only three innings before being pulled. He had a wild pitch, a passed ball, and multiple pitches in the dirt while giving up three runs in only three innings. “They were intimidated of us because we had been playing well,” Garrett explained, “so we went into the game confident.”
What was the key to a perfect season? “Working towards a common goal kept us focused,” said David Dominguez. “And of course, practice, practice, practice.” It seems all those hours of practice under the sweltering sun and every ounce of sweat have paid off. “We worked hard day in and day out, so it showed on the field,” Garrett said. It certainly did. Not only did the Apaches play with more skill than the Falcons, they also played with more intensity and determination. Kyle Yeh’s grounder to the pitcher with the bases loaded should have been a routine out at the plate, but Kyle Schneider beat the pitcher’s lazy throw for an Apache run.
"You couldn't have asked for a better end than that. It's good to be able to look back and see something that nobody's ever done before,” Coach Lemas told the Pasadena Star News. While the Apaches could have looked back upon their record-setting season with pride, they instead looked forward to the post-season. The team entered CIF-Southern Section play with a first-round game against visiting Valencia of Placentia on May 21 at home. They lost the game, 1-0, on a passed ball with the bases loaded. While their season ended on a disappointing note, their historic season is nothing short of spectacular. When asked if he thought his team would go undefeated at the start of the season, David said, “Honestly, I didn’t really think so. I knew we were a good team, but I never really imagined we would.” The Apaches may have just tried to get on base, but they ended up hitting a home run.