The Arcadia High School (AHS) Boys Varsity Baseball team faced off against Long Beach Polytechnic High School on May 2, achieving a victory with a final score of 3-0.

“The offense, the dugout, and the enthusiasm didn’t go very well. We had a lot of opportunities, [but] way too many strikeouts. We’ve got to get better if we’re going to keep advancing in the playoffs,” said Coach Nicholas Lemas.

Strong pitching was a decisive factor that contributed to the Apaches’ victory and guided the team through their mistakes.

“[Senior Gabriel Lopez] threw a really good game. [Senior Fernando Palencia] came in and got the job done at the end. Our pitching led the way. We made key plays when we needed to,” said Coach Lemas.

From the players’ perspectives, the team’s endurance and cohesiveness through the game was the factor that helped secure this victory.

“We worked together as a team. We had a couple mistakes in the beginning and got caught off guard a couple of times, but I think what we did well was keep[ing] our heads up and our energy high,” said Lopez.

“There are mistakes in every game. But if you don’t let those mistakes affect you in the long run and understand that you’re gonna have another chance to make a good play to help out your team, it’ll inspire you to play better,” said Palencia.

As the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) season is nearing its end, the Apaches have played an overall score of 21-7. And now, the players have learned from their mistakes during the game and gained the confidence needed to win.

“Even though we made mistakes, the fact that we’ve made it this far into the season has given the team a lot more energy and confidence to kind of win the whole thing. Everyone understands that they play a role. If you’re not on the field, you’re in the dugout backing up your teammates. Everything just adds that much more energy to the team,” said Palencia.

“Our last two practices have been the best practices we’ve ever had in terms of competitiveness and energy. So at this point, if we can play our game and not make errors that are gonna cost us runs, then we should be able to win,” said Lopez.

Despite a rocky start in the game against Long Beach, the Apaches were able to secure a final victory in this uncertain but overall impressive faceoff. As the team strengthens through this experience, the Apaches are ready for the final games of their season.