Bonita nearly pulls off miracle comeback, but falls short against Harvard Westlake and Bryce Rainer
LA VERNE — Bonita nearly made the impossible possible in the bottom of the seventh inning against Harvard Westlake’s Bryce Rainer, arguably the top senior prospect in the country who could be the No. 1 high school player taken in Major League Baseball’s draft.
Harvard-Westlake reacts after a run scores against Bonita in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Starting pitcher Jacob Magna #5 of Harvard-Westlake throws to the plate against Bonita in the fourth inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Starting pitcher Gavin Reeve #21 of Bonita throws to the plate against Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Shortstop Diego Vazquez #11 of Bonita tags out Ethan Price #2 of Harvard-Westlake at second base in the second inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Starting pitcher Jacob Magna #5 of Harvard-Westlake throws to the plate against Bonita in the fourth inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Second baseman Austin Owens #14 of Bonita throws out Cade Goldstein (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Second baseman Austin Owens #14 of Bonita throws out Duncan Marsten (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Bryce Rainer #34 of Harvard-Westlake scores on a double by teammate James Tronstein (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake against Bonita in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Second baseman Austin Owens #14 of Bonita throws out Cade Goldstein (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Centerfielder Spencer Savage #32 of Bonita retrieves a RBI double by James Tronstein (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Bonita bench looks on against Harvard-Westlake in the fourth inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Rightfielder James Tronstein #3 of Harvard-Westlake dives for a single by Darien Maung (not pictured) of Bonita in the second inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Rightfielder James Tronstein #3 of Harvard-Westlake dives for a single by Darien Maung (not pictured) of Bonita in the second inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Leftfielder Cody White #7 of Bonita dives for a RBI double by Jack Laffitte #8 of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Second baseman Austin Owens #14 of Bonita throws out Cade Goldstein (not pictured) of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Starting pitcher Gavin Reeve #21 of Bonita throws to the plate against Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Leftfielder Cody White #7 of Bonita dives for a RBI double by Jack Laffitte #8 of Harvard-Westlake in the first inning of a prep second round playoff baseball game at Bonita High School in La Verne on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Rainer is a shortstop who also happens to possess a high 90’s fastball, but did Bonita ever make him sweat out the final three outs before bowing out.
With Harvard-Westlake leading 3-0, San Dimas’ Andrew Sanchez, Cody White and Colton Perez fought off pitches and worked the counts, leading to three straight walks to load the bases and give the Bearcats life.
After a wild pitch scored Sanchez and Austin Owens’ groundout scored White, the Bearcats had the tying runner on third with two outs. But that’s as close as they would get as Rainer got Diego Vasquez to ground out to second to end the game, allowing No. 2 seed Harvard Westlake to escape with a 3-2 victory in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
Harvard Westlake’s Texas commit Bryce Rainer talks about battling through the 7th to hold on for a 3-2 win over Bonita pic.twitter.com/8pgX5VMTCl
Harvard Westlake coach Jared Halpert was going to stick with Bryce Rainer in the 7th no matter what as they held on for a 3-2 win over Bonita. He chuckled at the thought of replacing him. pic.twitter.com/pWom6ClfWy
Harvard-Westlake (25-5-1) advances to host San Dimas (25-5) in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Saints actually did pull off the miracle comeback, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh, getting a two-run walkoff base hit by Rocco Regan to beat Cypress, 7-6, to advance.
Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert kind of chuckled at the thought of replacing Rainer with his control problems in the seventh.
“Well, sticking with Bryce Rainer is not really a difficult thing to do,” Halpert joked. “But credit to that basball team across the field from us. They never gave up and they had a bunch of steam there when we kind of let the door open. But the ball rolled our way and we found a way to come out on top.”
Rainer, for his part, remained calm through it all.
“Not going to say it was nerve-rattling, but it was a little scary,” Rainer said of the seventh. “I’m not going to lie, but my team backed me up and made some plays for me.”
Rainer, a Texas commit, walked on four pitches and Stanford commit James Tronstein doubled him home. Jack Laffitte doubled in Tronstein as the Wolverines grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Bonita coach Ryan Marcos talks about their near comeback in 3-2 loss to Harvard Westalke pic.twitter.com/vEKtRi8baH
It stayed that way until Cade Goldstein’s ground-out in the fourth inning scored Ira Wootman for a 3-0 lead.
But that’s all the Wolerines would get off Bonita lefty Gavin Reeve, who gave up six hits over six innings.
Bonita had trouble against Harvard Westlake starter Jacob Magna, who gave up three hits in 4 2/3 innings.
But Bearcats (19-8) coach Ryan Marcos couldn’t be prouder of his teams’ effort, especially against Rainer, who closed the sixth and seventh innings to get the save.
“We were trying to take until we got something good to put something together,” Marcos said of their rally in the seventh inning. “That hit at the end from Diego was so close to being a hit. I’m just so proud of my guys to go out and do what they did this year. They competed and showed all heart and showed out.
“A couple missed opportunities and we’re back in it and it could be a different ballgame. But that’s baseball. You learn more about this game in life than any other sport.”