Baseball (3-6) lost 5-7 against Laguna Hills High on Feb. 28 at home. This game was the first of a two-game series with the Hawks, the second of which took place on March 3 and ended in a 4-6 loss. The Bulldogs will next play at University High against the Trojans on March 14.
At the start of the first inning, the Bulldogs took the lead with multiple successful bats and runs. Setting the pace, second baseman senior Naveen Trivedi catches the batted ball. Soon after, pitcher and senior Caleb Rockwell followed suit, hitting the ball and making it to centerfield. Although they were unable to make it to home plate before the next inning, the Bulldogs continued to remain in high spirits.
“Our strategy going into the game is to compete and play to the best of our abilities the whole game,” Rockwell said. “We adjust our approaches by not caring who we are facing. We just see them as another team to beat.”
By mid-game, the Bulldogs began facing continuous strike-outs, where many were unable to hit the ball or reach first base. Rockwell was able to score a home run, building up the momentum for the Bulldogs.
However, the Hawks began to take the lead in the game. The Bulldogs continued their series of strike-outs, which gave an opening to the Hawks. As the fifth inning came to an end, the Hawks were in the lead with a score of 5-3.
“I learned that no team is ever out of the fight,” Rockwell said. “Never let up, even when winning the game. [You] never know who will do something that will flip the game upside down.”
By the last few innings, the scoreboard continued to turn in favor of the Hawks as they made a run in the sixth inning, putting the score at 6-5.
“During a tight situation, I like to just think back to practice,” outfielder, first baseman and junior Brendan Villanueva said. “These are situations we’ve practiced before, and I try not to overthink it and always stay within myself.”
As the baseball season continues, the Bulldogs aim to stay focused on staying focused and getting ahead early on in a game. Head baseball coach Bryan Resnick said he encourages the team to stay grounded during games. To win means to take things into the player’s own hands, according to Resnick.
“We tell the guys that they have to earn it, meaning they’ve got to get the hits and work their way on base, rather than us giving it to them,” Resnick said. “ So I think we’ll learn from it. It’s early in the season, and hopefully we could take this as a lesson.”
