The North All-Stars seemingly had enough firepower to hang with the South early on in the 19th Annual High School All-Star Baseball Classic at Delta College, but that was not the case in the North’s 13-10 loss to the South on June 19 in Stockton.
Oakdale High graduate Logan Bruce started in the outfield for the North squad, making several defensive plays while playing nearly every outfield position during the nine-inning contest.
“I didn’t expect to play the whole nine,” Bruce said after the ballgame. “But I was pretty tired out there. It took more out of me than a regular game playing more than seven innings.”
Bruce, who made major contributions on the Mustangs’ back-to-back Valley Oak League championship squads, got the opportunity to team up with some of the players that Oakdale handed losses to more often than not.
“It was fun playing with some of those guys,” Bruce said. “Because I had never really gotten the chance to meet them. You never really get a chance to talk during VOL games, so it was a good experience getting to hang out with some of the guys.”
Bruce’s North squad squandered an opportunity to pull themselves within one run when Ricky Acosta of Manteca High nailed a pitch to the wall, seemingly clearing the bases, but a base running blunder left one run home and another shot down at the plate.
The South pulled away when Escalon High graduate Leighton Pangilinan stroked his second hit to push the South ahead for good. The North made things interesting with a few knocks in the ninth, but an infield ground out sealed the deal.
Bruce and his North teammates would have loved to close out their high school careers with a win, but the atmosphere and experience, even in defeat, remains priceless.
“I’d definitely do it again,” Bruce said of the festivities. “It was good to get out there for another game without too many practices.
“It was a good way to get back out there and enjoy playing baseball.”
Oakdale High graduate Logan Bruce started in the outfield for the North squad, making several defensive plays while playing nearly every outfield position during the nine-inning contest.
“I didn’t expect to play the whole nine,” Bruce said after the ballgame. “But I was pretty tired out there. It took more out of me than a regular game playing more than seven innings.”
Bruce, who made major contributions on the Mustangs’ back-to-back Valley Oak League championship squads, got the opportunity to team up with some of the players that Oakdale handed losses to more often than not.
“It was fun playing with some of those guys,” Bruce said. “Because I had never really gotten the chance to meet them. You never really get a chance to talk during VOL games, so it was a good experience getting to hang out with some of the guys.”
Bruce’s North squad squandered an opportunity to pull themselves within one run when Ricky Acosta of Manteca High nailed a pitch to the wall, seemingly clearing the bases, but a base running blunder left one run home and another shot down at the plate.
The South pulled away when Escalon High graduate Leighton Pangilinan stroked his second hit to push the South ahead for good. The North made things interesting with a few knocks in the ninth, but an infield ground out sealed the deal.
Bruce and his North teammates would have loved to close out their high school careers with a win, but the atmosphere and experience, even in defeat, remains priceless.
“I’d definitely do it again,” Bruce said of the festivities. “It was good to get out there for another game without too many practices.
“It was a good way to get back out there and enjoy playing baseball.”
