Petaluma and Casa Grande collide in Boras Classic game

Petaluma and Casa Grande high school baseball teams received a quick introduction to the intensity that is the Boras Classic baseball tournament being played this week in Sacramento. Both survived the pressure, but not unscathed.

All games in the prestigious tournament are being played at McAuliffe Fields adjacent to Sacramento State University.

The local teams took similar paths to their collision.

Casa Grande lost its first game Monday afternoon to St. Mary’s from Stockton, 4-0, but bounced back to defeat Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep of San Francisco, 4-3.

Petaluma on Tuesday lost to Woodcreek of Roseville, 2-1, but fought back to beat Carlmont from Belmont, 5-4.

Petaluma and Casa Grande were scheduled to go head-to-head Wednesday. Results of that game were not available at press time.

The quality of play and stress of playing twice in one day was not lost on the participants.

“The tournament has all the intensity of playoff games,” said Casa Grande first-year coach Chad Fillinger. “It is not only physically tough, but it is mentally exhausting.”

The final score of the St. Mary’s game was deceiving. Casa Grande trailed just 2-0 going into the seventh inning when St. Mary’s rallied for two more runs to put the game away.

“We played really well,” Fillinger observed. “We just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it.

Broc Burleson pitched six strong innings for Casa Grande, working in and out of trouble. He allowed seven hits, but just two runs, while walking four and striking out five. The Rams scored two runs off Travis Morgan in the seventh.

Casa Grande had nine hits off St. Mary’s pitcher Dylan Fagundes, but could never get the crucial run-scoring hit.

Joey Loveless, Cameron Downing and Dylan Moore each had two hits for the Gauchos.

“It was a good well-played baseball game,” Fillinger said.

Coming back Monday night, Casa Grande received another well-pitched game, with Nick Kamages throwing six strong innings. He gave up only one earned run with two Sacred Heart runs scoring on a bases-loaded error. The senior scattered six hits and walked just two, while striking out six.

All three Sacred Heart runs came in the fifth inning, after Casa Grande had built a 4-0 lead with two runs in each the second and fourth innings.

Aaron Van Tighem, pitching for the first time in more than a year as he battles back from Tommy John surgery, earned the save with a pressure-packed one-two-three shutdown in the seventh.

Joe Lampe went three-for-four for the Gauchos at the plate, with Ibai Guadron collecting two hits and driving in three runs. Justin Millard and Moore each had two hits.

Blake Buhrer lost a tough pitching duel with Wookcreek’s Ryan Harvey in Petaluma’s first game on Tuesday. Buhrer pitched 6 2/3 strong innings, allowing just two runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, Harvey was just a touch better, giving up only one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Petaluma hits came from Bradley Smith, Nick Andrakin, Sam Brown and Sam Jacobs.

Petaluma scored five runs in the third inning against Sacred Heart and then held on behind three pitchers for its first Boras victory.

Danny Marzo earned the win for three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Nick Siembieda gave up two hits and two runs in an inning of mound work, while Jacob Tuchband earned the save, allowing two runs in three innings.

Marzo had two hits,including a big triple and drove in two runs in the Trojans’ third-inning rally. Porter Slate and Garrett Lewis also drove in Petaluma runs.