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By Daniel Kim
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May. 26, 2009 |
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Payback, like revenge, is sweet.
After losing to the Buccaneers twice in the regular season, the JV baseball team was hungry for victory in the championship game on April 22 against the Buccaneers. That hunger was alleviated when the boys crushed Balboa 9-3 to win the title. “Coach Quinn told us all year that it doesn’t matter if we lose the battles because we’re sure as hell going to win the war, and we did,” sophomore pitcher Philip Raucci said.
In the first inning, the Cardinals started off with a few hits and then shut the Buccaneers down on defense by allowing them to score only three runs. From the first inning, they were in control as they scored in almost every inning. During these ensuing innings, the team made clutch hits, played solid defense and had phenomenal pitching performances from both Raucci and fellow sophomore pitcher Jacob Gleason. “All around, it was probably our best game of the season, at the perfect time,” Raucci said.
To the team, the championship victory was a welcome relief after a year that had a rough beginning. “We really came through as a group after a terrible preseason and a decent start to the regular season,” sophomore outfielder Tom Kroner said. “Then we came together and won the championship.”
The boys will look to repeat another championship victory next season. The team will lose many crucial sophomore players to the varsity team, including Gleason, Raucci, Kroner, second baseman Eric Chong and first baseman Edward King. Next year, the JV team will rally with new members led by freshman shortstop Nick Magyari as well as freshman second baseman Max Lewin.
Most Valuable Player
The Lowell’s choice for MVP is sophomore pitcher and third baseman Jacob Gleason. He has pitched well consistently for the whole season, including the championship game. “He helped us to stay focused during most of our games,” Magyari said. “His combination of pitching and good defense helped us claim our title.”
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