Bonita Humbled in Consolation Round of Glendora Tournament

In the Glendora tournament, Bonita headed in many different directions. With league play about to start, it will be fascinating to watch how the team pulls together.

One reason the majority of good coaches tell their players never to gloat when they win big is they know better than most that what goes around comes around. The Bonita Bearcats, which won their opening game in a laugher, 21-1, against Ayala, 21-1, looking every bit like the 1927 Yankees pounding out six home runs, fell yesterday to Claremont in the consolation round of the Glendora tournament, 19-3.

Claremont scored 19 runs on 19 hits, including four home runs.

Bonita actually went up 1-0 in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Evan Highley, driving in Robert Mier who had walked on four straight pitches to lead off the game.

In the bottom of the second, howeer, Claremont rocked Bonita for seven runs, including a lead-off home run from Kenny Champman and a grand slam off the bat of Victor Munoz. Following the lead-off home run, Claremont’s Jake Teagle lined a sharp single to left field with no outs. Kyle Jackson next dropped down a sacrifice. First baseman Highley fielded the ball cleanly and appeared to tag the runner racing down down the line, but the infield umpire ruled Jackson safe. Despite an appeal from Bonita Coach John Knott, the play stood.

With the game still tied at 1-1, Claremont resorted to the sacrifice again, with Joe Harris moving the runners over to second and third. Bonita starting pitcher Justin Garza struck out the next batter and appeared he might wiggle out of the two-out jam, but Claremont scratched out two more singles and a hit batter before Munoz delivered the big blast to put Claremont up, 7-1.

In the top of the third, Bonita responded with two runs. Mier led off with a double and came home to score on an RBI single by Anthony Ramos, who was thrown out trying to leg out a double. The baserunningn adventure proved costly because Highley followed with a home to bring Bonita closer, 7-3.

Highley’s blast proved to be Bonita’s last run, while Claremont kept scoring, including eight runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Early-season tournaments, of course, are a time for experimentation. Bonita was involved in blow-outs and close games, emerging with an overall record of 1-1-2. The team showed flashes of power, pitching excellence and defensive brilliance. How consistent these dimensions of the game will play out over the course of the season is the big question mark.

The tournament offered a peek into the long season. More clarity will emerge this week as Bonita squares off against cross-town rival San Dimas at home on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and then hits the road on Thursday to play Charter Oak at 3:15 p.m. for the league opener for both teams.