Sang Lee
Burroughs High's playoff baseball game turned out to be a story
not even a Hollywood agent would buy into.
A team having lost all its best players, with a new coach and
without an identity, winning seven straight games and coming from
13-runs down to come back for a win?
Nah, too unrealistic, right?
Maybe this is where the term "storybook season" comes from.
For the Indians, summer competition has featured an incredible
run, as they defeated Westlake on Monday, coming back from a
double-digit deficit to knock off the Warriors, 17-16, in a game called because of darkness at Canyon High in the second round of the
Valley Invitational League Championship.
When Burroughs took the lead in the sixth inning -- and still
threatened with the bases loaded and two out -- umpires called the
game, as the official contest broke past the three-hour mark.
Westlake (17-11) however, started the game ferociously, scoring 14
runs in the opening two innings, causing many of the Warrior faithful
to start counting down the innings before the seemingly eventual
10-run mercy rule.
But the Indians did anything but wilt under the deficit, as they
chipped away at the Warrior lead.
"I'm very proud of these guys. We're young but feel we're not
going to use that as an excuse. [The team] feels insulted that last
year's team had so much talent and no one gave them a chance this
year. But right now, they're feeling pretty good," Burroughs Coach
Tom Crowther said.
Crowther, a former Burroughs player, took over the Indian program
this summer after longtime Coach Jose Valle stepped down after nearly
10 years as skipper.
Under Valle, the Indians struggled and failed to make it to the
CIF Southern Section playoffs.
After a talented group of seniors graduated last month, the usual
stigma of a rebuilding season followed the program into the summer.
But one variable many might not have taken into consideration is
the hearts of the remaining Burroughs players. With many fresh faces
filling the lineup card, new life has rejuvenated the squad and thus
resulted in many wins.
"The mindset has changed so much this summer. The kids have grown
and the team is believing in their abilities. We have everyone
playing right now," Crowther said.
The win was a team effort, as the Indians (18-10) had at least one
run from each player in the batting order and actually scored eight
runs in the final inning to finish the game before darkness fell.
Among the players who had a big game for Burroughs is Kyle
