La Palma, CA — There are times in every life when things do not go as expected, when one fails to perform as hoped, when the opposition seems to always have the upper hand and the breaks always go the other way. When those times come, people respond in different ways. Some accept it as the final verdict on their skills and potential. They shrug their shoulders and settle for what they can get. They accept defeats as all that they really deserve. Others, get upset. They complain and look for someone to blame. They point fingers, make excuses and feel sorry for themselves. But, then, there are others. These are the ones that pause, look inside, gather themselves and regroup. They get to their feet and go at it again. Bullheadedly unwilling to accept the verdict of mediocrity, they go out and try to find a way to turn it around, to turn the tables, to overcome the odds. The Kennedy Varsity Baseball team has been at such a crossroads. Their early season has not been what was expected of them or what they had hoped for themselves. In years past it might have been considered normal. But this is a team that has been to the mountain top. They’ve sat at the table of champions. However, 2020 has seen them stumble out of the gates. As they welcomed Newport Harbor for a doubleheader on Saturday, they had lost seven of their first eight games. It has been difficult to gather themselves, to engineer a rebound, to mount a comeback. They were faced with an important question. A question that will determine what the rest of their season will look like. A question that might even set a pattern for the rest of their lives. The question is which one of those groups just described will ultimately define them? Will they accept what is and just go along for the ride? Will they complain and blame others? Or will they pause, look inside, gather themselves and regroup? Will they dig down and develop a deeper character, a deeper resolve? Will they grow heart? As the league season approaches, the Irish need to realize that they have the core of last year’s championship lineup still suiting up every day. They have the essence of one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They have some fresh talent that has arrived with bursting potential. They have the same staff of coaches that guided them masterfully through the last campaign. What remains to be seen is whether or not they have the heart. Will they reject the verdict of mediocrity and begin to play to the level that their potential predicts? Will they refuse to let their preseason be the final verdict on their high school careers? Heart is not something that one is born with. It is something that grows out of the mire of disappointment and failure. It is something that is built one decision at a time, one effort after another, one resolve leading to the next. Heart is getting up off the canvas, dusting one’s self off and choosing to go another round. The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader was another difficult one for Kennedy. Sam Moctezuma took the mound and turned in one of his customary strong performances. He pitched six innings, working out of jams in the 2nd and 3rd frames, allowing five hits and striking out six. The only run that crossed the plate was unearned. Kennedy’s offensive attack flashed early hope when Chase Leonard drove a ball deep over the left fielder’s head for a lead off double in the first. But the Irish could not get him home and Newport right-hander Logan Pence began to set them down quietly. Pence did not allow another hit until the 5th inning and only three hits in the six innings he worked. Along the way, he struck out 10 Irish. Leonard collected another hit in the 7th and Tyler Beckler and Jason May added singles in the 5th and 6th, but that was all that Kennedy could muster. A crucial moment in the game came in the 5th inning when the Irish mounted their most important attack of the game. Trailing 1-0, they loaded the bases with one out bringing Leonard to the plate. The Kennedy shortstop worked the count full and battled further, fouling off several good pitches. The next pitch struck him on the wrist. At this point, there is confusion as to what actually took place. But, ultimately, the umpire ruled that Leonard had leaned into the pitch and he called him out. The tying run that had already crossed the plate was sent back to third. The extremely rare and controversial call helped to squelch the Kennedy rally, keeping them off the board and eventually sending them down to a bitter 2-0 defeat It was a moment when the Irish must have been tempted to accept that fate was against them and throw their hands in the air and write off the season. But, instead, this might be the moment that we look back on later in the year and realize that it was the afternoon they began to regroup. Wyatt Johnson set the tone by taking the mound in the second game and turning in an outstanding performance. He gave up only 3 hits in 9 innings, striking out 3 and not allowing any runs. He also did not walk a batter. It was an incredible outing. But the Kennedy offense was still stalled. When regulation time was over, the teams were locked in a scoreless tie. Johnson, who was very economical with his pitches throughout the afternoon, was able to remain on the mound as the game continued on to the 9th inning. It was then that the Irish put on a gritty team effort that finally turned the tide. Michael Oehlers led off the inning by working for a 7 pitch walk. Ryan Cathcart, laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Oehlers to second. Kenon Harris stepped in as a pinch hitter but quickly found himself in a no balls and two strikes hole. But he hung tough and was able to get a piece of the next pitch and chop a high bouncer to the left side. He sprinted down the line causing the fielder to hurry and make his throw into the dirt. When it rolled a few feet away, Oehlers rounded third and sprinted home setting up an extremely close play at the plate. Oehlers dove safely under the tag and the Irish had won. The pile of white and green jerseys on the infield grass was a beautiful sight to behold as the the team mobbed Harris, Oehlers and each other. It fact, it may have been the first time that they really looked like a team all year. In this game, Leonard, Beckler, Sebastian McSherry, Kyle Chung, Harris and Cathcart each collected singles. On the defensive side, Cathcart turned in a good defensive afternoon in centerfield including several fine running catches and a leaping, backhanded catch of a drive in the 2nd. And it must be mentioned that in addition to Johnson’s fine pitching, he fielded his position exceptionally throughout the afternoon, making at least a half dozen fine plays to turn back Newport attacks. Finally, one more word must be said about Tyler Beckler. With runners on in the 9th, Tyler made a diving catch on a line drive headed toward the left field corner that ended the inning and might have saved a run. And at the plate, he collected his 14th hit of the young season raising his average to .452 *. He has hit safely in every contest this year and, if you include the last two games of 2019, is now on an 11 game hitting streak. He has established himself as one of the most consistent and reliable Kennedy hitters. Kennedy’s next game is an away game against Westminster on March 14. (Note: These stats are not official).