On Feb. 29, 2024, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys’ baseball team faced off against St. Bonaventure (Bonnie) at the De Anza (DATA) Middle School baseball field. After neck-in-neck play, going into extra innings, the game ended in a tie after the lights were shut off.
In the first inning, Adam Arth ‘24 started as the pitcher for Foothill Tech. After successful pitching and defense, it was the Dragons’ turn to bat. First up was Aiden Gomez ’25 who walked. After him came Arth who stepped up to the plate and crushed the ball over the right field fence for a home run, which gave Foothill Tech the lead, 2-0.
Arth spoke on his home run, stating, “I felt like I set a good standard at the beginning of the game.”
Bonnie closed the gap in score in the second inning as they quickly got two runners on base. After a caught fly ball, Bonnie got a runner to home base which brought the score to 2-1.
Bonnie built off this momentum in the third inning as, once again, they got two players on base. After a bobble behind the plate, Bonnie’s baserunner took the opportunity to steal home. Directly after this, a flyout allows another runner to take the score to 2-3.
After an uneventful fourth inning, Bonnie took their lead into the fifth inning. After two Bonnie runners got on base, the ball was sent into the outfield to bring a runner home. Following this, a runner took advantage of an opportunity to steal home which brought the score to 2-5.
As the Dragons came into the bottom of the fifth with two consecutive walks, Tristan Stehle ‘24 drilled the ball down the left-field line to bring the two baserunners home, 4-5. Hayden Villa ‘24 built off this momentum, beating the ball to first base after an infield grounder. This allowed Stehle to make it to home plate to tie the game, 5-5.
James Markov ‘25 relieved Arth as a pitcher in the sixth inning and provided the Dragons with a scoreless inning.
One inning later, Bronson Taylor ‘24, was subbed in as pitcher to close out the game. After another scoreless top of the inning, Foothill Tech had an opportunity to end the game if they scored a run. With two runners on base, it was possible, but the Dragons weren’t able to bring them in. The game, still tied at 5-5, was forced into extra innings with both teams exhausted.
After another defensively successful top of the inning, Foothill Tech made another attempt to end the game. After two walks and a successful bunt by Jackson Basurto ‘24, the bases were loaded for the Dragons. Taylor and Gomez both connected with the ball but these hits were successfully fielded by Bonnie to keep the score even.
Talyor described how he kept a level head in the extra innings, “Just simple thoughts … just throw a strike and keep the game going.”
In the top of the ninth inning, after a flyout double play made by the Dragons, Bonnie attempted to get ahead by connecting strongly with the ball to send it over the fence for a home run which brought the score to 5-6. But this would not end up being the final score.
The game had been proceeding deep into the night, long after the sun had set, however, this would soon come to an end. As Arth was in the middle of his at bat, the game abruptly came to an end as the lights were shut off.
After an attempt to turn the lights back on and a discussion between the umpires, it was decided that the score would be reverted back to the final count of the eighth inning because Foothill Tech wasn’t able to complete their guaranteed at bat. This ended the game in a tie, 5-5.
Arth spoke on the end of the game and his desire to continue playing, “We could have come back.”
Foothill Tech will compete next against Golden Valley High School on their home turf on March 5.
