By Justin HAGER

The Cinderella season continued for the Falcons varsity boys’ baseball team over the weekend, with three wins in five days, including a nail-biting two-run victory over the highly ranked La Cañada Spartans on Saturday. The Falcons have now won eight in a row and climbed almost 200 spots in the statewide rankings, putting them in the top 25% of California teams at press time.

Last Friday’s victory over the Muir Mustangs featured a lights out performance from starting pitcher Jameson Ferraro, who threw 101 pitches for 11 strikeouts. Outstanding offensive production continued from the top and middle of the lineup, with noteworthy patience and production from Luca Cuneo, Emilio Velis and Brendon Pehar. Cuneo reached base three out of four at-bats, including a line drive down the first base line in the first inning. Not to be outdone, Velis reaching base on all four at-bats, including singles in the first and second innings that drove in Velis. And in a demonstration of what it looks like to put the teams’ needs first, Pehar finished the night with four RBIs, including one from a sacrifice fly and another from a suicide squeeze, giving Velis his third run scored.

In less than 24 hours, the boys were back on the field against the California Top-100 ranked La Cañada Spartans. Once again, the Falcons’ pitching put them in the position to win. Pehar went 3⅓ innings and allowed only two runs, but it was the dominating performance of sophomore Connor Campbell that put the final nails in the coffin, pitching 3⅔ shutout innings to give CV the 4-2 victory.

On Tuesday afternoon at Pasadena’s Victory Park, the Falcons found themselves in a shootout, leading to one of the most inspirational moments of the season. After trading runs in the first and second innings, a Falcon rally was ended by a outstanding throw down at home plate. Starting pitcher Noah Maddox was injured on the play after slipping on a wet base in the spring rain. Despite the obvious pain, Maddox stayed in the game, not allowing a single hit in the second or third innings.

Then, in the fourth, Pasadena rallied, scoring two on an RBI zinger from Xander Inguanzo, the Bulldogs’ first recorded hit of the game. Inguanzo then stole second and, with a runner in scoring position, the Bulldogs’ shortstop and lead-off batter, Evan Coad, belted a ball down the first base line only to see the rally stopped short by an outstanding defensive play by Falcon right fielder Luca Cuneo. Although he was replaced on the mound by Campbell in the fifth inning, Maddox continued to bat, driving in two runs on a hard-hit single that required him to hobble down to first and finally leave the game. The Falcons would go on to score six runs in the sixth and take a commanding 9-5 lead. It looked like the Bulldogs might rally after Jesus Zuniga hit a towering homerun, but the rally would be stopped short and the game brought to a close by an outstanding full-speed full-stretch on-the-run catch by the Falcons’ center fielder Rowan Respicio.

Pasadena will have the opportunity to get revenge and snap the Falcons winning streak when they meet again on Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at Stengel Field.