By Aaron Valdez
Despite going 10-4 in preseason, the Bulldogs of Pasadena baseball (10-7) have hit a rough patch in the wake of Pacific League play.
Early on, it seemed the Bulldogs could be a dark horse in the race for the Pacific League crown. Even with powerhouses like Arcadia and Crescenta Valley in the mix, Pasadena was making a serious case for themselves.
The Bulldogs were also on a four-game winning streak within the final weeks of March that included solid victories over South Pasadena, Bosco Tech, Salesian and Cathedral. Pasadena’s best win on paper was an 11-0 shutout of St. Anthony on March 3 during the Dave Moore Classic.
In that fixture with St. Anthony, pitcher Alvie Castro threw a complete seven innings and only surrendered three hits to go along with two strikeouts. Infielder David Banuelos and catcher Adrain DePasquale led the way offensively as Banuelos knocked in three RBIs while DePasquale contributed two RBIs but was 3-3 at the plate.
League play, on the other hand, has not been kind to the Bulldogs as they dropped their fist three games to Crescenta Valley twice and Burroughs once. The team’s offense put up stagnant performances, which is most likely due the high-caliber competition.
However, the Bulldogs have a chance to begin another winning streak as they managed to defeat Burroughs 7-1 in the second leg of their two-game series. Castro posted another brilliant performance, going 6.1 innings while delivering 11 strikeouts. Closer Nik Moran came in to finish the job as the senior gave up no hits and dealt one strikeout.
On deck for Pasadena is the second game of their two-part series with Hoover (0-4) on Friday. This series will present the Bulldogs with a good opportunity to gain some ground on the Pacific League leaders.
