Panthers let one get away

It was the first game in eight days for Burlingame. Due to inclement weather, the Panthers were forced to reschedule one game and miss several days of practice.

“[The loss] had nothing to do with eight days off,” Scott said. “It has everything to do with s—ing a baseball game away in the last two innings.”

The Panthers (4-2) seemed to have the game in hand when, leading 4-3 with two outs in the final frame, St. Ignatius junior Justin Williamson hit a routine grounder to the left side of the infield. The throw, however, took Burlingame first baseman Mario Vargas into the runner and jarred the ball out of his glove, allowing senior Dan Lawrence to score to tie it 4-4.

Burlingame then had to choose its poison between a Millbrae kid and a hometown slugger. With runners at the corners, the Panthers opted to intentionally walk Wildcats No. 3 hitter Jack Thomson, a Millbrae native who was 0 for 3 in the game. But the left-hander is batting .381 on the year. And in his previous at-bat rocked a long fly-ball out to spacious center field.

“I’m not letting one of the best hitters in the [West Catholic Athletic League] beat us,” Scott said. “I’ll take the next guy. Jack Thomson is one of the best hitters I’ve actually coached, and coached against. There’s no way I’m letting him beat us.”

So, with the bases loaded, McCarthy — who resides in Burlingame, and is the younger brother of former Serra catcher Thomas McCarthy — strode to the plate against a familiar opponent.

The right-handed McCarthy was also 0 for 3 on the day, but worked the count to 3-1 against the struggling Flores before taking ball four to walk in Marvcus Guarin with the game-winning run.

“Obviously, I’m not going to be happy with that, their walking me,” McCarthy said. “I feel like I’ve had a good approach at the plate all day. Then coach says I’ve got to stay back and wait for my pitch because he’s been mislocating the entire inning. So, I just tried to get my pitch and he did not give me a pitch … and I got the RBI walk for the win.”

Flores was popping the catcher’s mitt with high velocity fastball from the moment he stepped on the mound to start the sixth. Through two previous outings this season — both starts — he had allowed just three walks and no hit batsmen in 11 innings of work.

“I don’t care about pop,” Scott said. “I care about strikes and outs.”

Scott said Burlingame should have scored at least seven runs in the game. But the Panthers left nine runners on base throughout, including failing to plate runners from third base in three of the opening four frames.

St. Ignatius’ starter, Guarin, threw 86 pitches in five innings of work as he battled out of jam after jam. In the first, Lopiccolo and Tyler White set the table with back-to-back one-out knocks, but the Panthers did not score. In the second, the bottom of the order set the table with two outs as Alex McMaster singled and Jordi Aguilar legged out a bunt single. Still, Burlingame could not push a run across.

“Bad approach,” Scott said. “Selfishness. … Everybody wants to be a hero instead of just being part of the solution.”

All the while, Lopiccolo was matching zeroes, pitching efficiently, needing just 46 pitches to open with four shutout frames. Of responding to the lack of Burlingame offense, Lopiccolo said it just comes with the territory.

“That’s why we work on mental toughness too,” Lopiccolo said. “You’ve got to go back out there. It doesn’t matter what happens. You’ve just got to think about what your job is out on the field and we’ve got work as a team. Better hitting? Definitely, for sure.”

In the fifth, Burlingame finally broke through thanks to a St. Ignatius defensive miscue. Lopiccolo reached on a leadoff single, moved to second on a groundout, then stole third base. Then with two outs, Vargas struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but the ball skipped to the backstop, allowing Vargas to reach and Lopiccolo to sprint home with the game’s first run.

After a single by Flores to put runners at first and second, Burlingame went up 2-0 on a double steal, with Vargas getting up and jogging home after the catcher’s throw sailed into left field.

St. Ignatius got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. John Hanley led off with a double and moved to third on a balk. Then with one out, catcher Cole Constant singled home Hanley to make it 2-1. Burlingame turned its second double play of the game to escape the inning with the lead, as Flores at third base started an around-the-horn twin killing.

Facing the St. Ignatius bullpen, Burlingame added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. White led off with a walk and, after a single by Taylor Clark, scored on a wild pitch. Flores then singled home Clark to make it 4-1.

The loss for Burlingame marks its second straight after starting the year 4-0. Lopiccolo has now made back-to-back starts, having also taken the loss March 9 against Serra.

“I think we just had the jitters,” Lopiccolo said of Saturday’s defeat. “We’ve been rusty all week, missing practice time and everything. But I think Monday when we come back out again, we’re going to fix those things.”