Despite being indoors for the last four months, the baseball team proved they are a force to be reckoned with as they traveled to Arizona and California over spring break for match-ups against some of the best competition in the west. Here is a recap of the Bears’ west coast swing.
February 28 vs. Bonita (La Verne, CA)
The Bears prevailed 3-2 in a scrimmage just outside of Los Angeles. The Blue & White took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd when Larry Hotaling sent a two-out line drive to center field to plate Seth Laureano who singled to open the inning. The Bears held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the 7th, thanks in large part to 5.0 shutout innings from Leo Vitarelli, but Bonita mounted a comeback with their backs against the wall.
The Bearcats opened the inning with a walk and a single. The leadoff hitter then stole third, but Alex Baaden registered a key strikeout. The Bearcats’ second baserunner then advanced to second on defensive indifference. A bunt followed, plating the tying run, but the Bears ended the inning with a double play as they erased Bearcats at first and home to send the game to extra innings.
After a scoreless 8th, the Bears put up two in the 9th behind a sacrifice fly from Juju Martinez that scored Aiden Ruiz and a wild pitch that plated Hotaling. The Bearcats got one more back in the bottom half, but Matthew Ramirez induced a line out to Jordan Serrano in center field to earn the save. Baaden earned the win after giving up 2 hits and 1 earned run over 3.0 innings.
February 29 vs. Mountain Ridge (Glendale, AZ)
After an extra-inning nailbiter the day before, the Bears blew the doors off the #5 ranked team in the Southwest to open up the Best of the West Tournament. The Bears scored two in the top of the 1st when Laureano doubled in Hotaling (walk) and Serrano (single) to take a 2-0 lead. The Brook extended the lead to 3-0 in the 3rd when an Anthony DeCesare ground out plated Serrano (single).
The Mountain Lions got one back in the bottom of the 3rd, but it was all Bears from there. Laureano walked to open the inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch to push the Bear lead to 4-1 before a six-run 6th broke the game open.
DeCesare and Martinez walked to open the inning before Laureno singled to load the bases with no outs. An error plated Vitarelli (who pinch ran for DeCesare) to extend the Bear lead to 5-1 and keep the bases loaded. Aaron Artsen was hit by a pitch to push another run across. Laureno then scored to push the lead to 7-1 before Mateo Lopez dashed home on a wild pitch. A Ruiz sacrifice fly plated Artsen to extend the lead to 9-1 with two outs. An error on a pop up scored Hotaling to end the Bears’ scoring and give them the final 10-1 margin.
It was more than enough offense for Nick Parker, who allowed just 3 hits and an earned run over 5.1 innings to go along with 2 strikeouts. Laureano led the offense with 2 hits and 2 RBIs.
March 1 vs. Liberty (Peoria, AZ)
The Bears prevailed over the Lions, 16-15, in an absolute slugfest. The Bears struck first, plating three in the top of the 1st when a Ruiz walk, an error on a Serrano ground ball, and a single from DeCesare loaded the bases with one out. A Martinez walk forced a run home before a Travis Stroud II single sent Serrano and DeCesare dashing home. The Lions struck back in the bottom half of the inning with seven runs, punctuated by a three-run double, and maintained that edge through the 2nd.
In the top of the 3rd, the Bears erupted for 10 runs to retake a 13-7 advantage. Hotaling doubled to start the inning before Serrano reached on an error. A DeCesare double to center scored both and halved the Blue & White deficit to 5-7. Martinez and Stroud II followed with walks to load the bases with nobody out before an error on a Laureano ground ball pulled The Brook within 6-7. Wyatt Simons followed with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 7-7 and give the Lions their first out of the inning. Baaden kept the train moving with a single to reload the bases, then Ruiz followed with a line drive up the middle that scored two to give the Bears the lead back at 9-7. A walk to Hotaling loaded the bases again to bring up Serrano. The junior wasted little time in the box, blasting the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a grand slam. 13-7 Bears.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the 3rd for Joshua Diaz, the Bears added another run in the 4th when Laureano singled, moved to 3rd on a Ruiz single, and scored on an error from the pitcher. 14-7 Bears. The Lions scored two more in the bottom of the 6th to edge within 9-14, but the Bears tagged Liberty pitching for two more runs in the top of the 7th to extend the margin. They would prove to be key runs.
Ruiz registered his third hit of the day with one out, then moved to second on a wild pitch. A Serrano double sent Ruiz home before a DeCesare double gave Serrano his fourth run of the day. 16-9 Bears. Despite facing a seven-run deficit with three outs remaining, the 3-time Arizona State Champions showed their mettle by scoring six runs in the frame to pull within a run of the Bears. With the tying run on third base with two outs, Baaden induced a ground out to earn his second save of the year and give the Bears a thrilling win.
Diaz earned the win with 3.2 innings of no-hit ball with 2 strikeouts. Serrano (2 H/ 5 RBI and DeCesare (4 H/ 3 RBI) powered the offense.
March 1 vs. Kofa (Yuma, AZ)
The Bear offense remained potent, scoring double-digit runs for the third straight game in an 11-5 win over Kofa, the 2023 Central Valley Regional Champions. The Bears hung six in the top of the 1st and the Kings never got closer than three runs the rest of the way.
Ruiz walked to open the 1st. Hotaling followed with a single and Serrano loaded the bases with no outs when he was hit by a pitch. DeCesare was hit on the very next pitch to plate the first run. Martinez walked to give The Brook a 2-0 lead as the first five Bears reached on only one hit. A Laureno single followed for a 3-0 advantage before an Artsen walk forced in another run for a 4-0 lead. Following a pop out, the patient Bears worked their fourth walk of the inning when Vitarelli won a full-count battle to give the Bears a 5-0 lead. The Bears batted around in the inning as Ruiz came back up and sent a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Laureano for a 6-0 edge.
The Kings answered in the bottom of the 2nd with three runs, but the Bears immediately responded with three more scores in the top of the 3rd to restore the six-run lead. A Martinez double opened the inning before Artsen’s one-out single gave the Bears a 7-3 advantage. After a pop out, Vitarelli worked another walk before a balk and a stolen base moved both runners into scoring position with two outs. Ruiz made the most of his opportunity with a single to center that scored both runners for a 9-3 lead.
The Bears continued to tack on runs when Peter Calone scored on a wild pitch in the 4th and Serrano singled home Diaz in the 5th for an 11-3 lead. Kofa got two runs back in the 6th, but they could not muster the power needed to match the Bears on that day.
Shea Corona earned the win, allowing just 2 hits and 3 runs over 4.1 innings. Ruiz’s 3 RBIs and Hotaling’s 3 hits led the way at the plate.
March 2 vs. Pacifica (Garden Grove, CA)
The Bears wrapped up a memorable west coast trip with their fifth straight victory in a 3-0 win over Pacifica in the Best of the West Championship game. Both squads were scoreless over the first two innings, but the Bear offense awoke in the top of the 3rd. Lopez and Corona drew one-out walks before the duo stole second and third. Lopez scored on a passed ball on the next pitch before Corona was picked off second. On the fourth pitch of the at bat, Ruiz homered to left to give The Brook a 2-0 edge.
The Bears would not score again until the 7th, but it was all the offense they would need as Chris Nell dazzled on the mound. The junior retired the first five batters he faced, allowed just three runners to reach third base all day, and shutout the 2023 Empire League Champions.
In the top of the 7th, Ruiz singled to send Parker home (running for Lopez, who singled) for the Bears’ final run. Nell nailed down his outing by working around a leadoff double and an E6 with a pop out, line out, and ground out to secure the win.
The Bears return to action on March 8 when they face old Section XI foe Smithtown Christian in their home opener.
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