By Joe Snyder
Gardena High’s boys’ baseball team began the Marine League with a bang with a pair of games against a highly regarded Banning High team last week.
The Pilots are currently ranked fourth in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section by MaxPreps and they showed why with mercy rule lopsided wins over the Panthers at 25-1 on March 26 at Gardena and 10-0 last Friday at Banning in Wilmington. In a final game of the Dorsey Tournament last Saturday at Dorsey High in southwest L.A., Gardena finished with an 11-4 victory over Hollywood High last Saturday.
Gardena began the league against the Pilots who had little trouble in hammering the error-plagued Panthers, who made six miscues in each contest. The Panthers’ offense mustered only two hits, both in the first game.
Gardena’s only run came in the bottom of the fourth inning in the March 26 contest as returning all-Marine Leaguer Anthony Garcia drove home Jalani Hawes on a sacrifice fly.
For Banning, A.J. Herrera went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and one run scored. He had a double and triple. Matthew Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with five RBI’s and two runs scored.
Last Friday’s game, on the earned run side, was way closer than the score indicated as nine of the Pilots’ 10 runs were unearned.
Losing pitcher Garcia did quite well, allowing only one earned run in three innings, but could not get help from his defense nor offense that forced another five-inning mercy rule loss. The Panthers failed to get a hit and had just one baserunner.
“Garcia is a returning two-time second-team all-leaguer,” Gardena head coach Tom Anderson said. “He’s our best player. Right now, we’re shorthanded. We’re looking at a much better game against Hollywood.”
Against a weaker Shieks’ squad, things were better for the Panthers, who improved to 6-7 overall.
Garcia went 2-for-4 with a home run. Chris Alvarez had a double and scored a run. Shava Mailo, an all-league offensive guard with Gardena’s football team last fall, drove in one run with a sacrifice fly.
Winning pitcher Marco Viveros went 4 1/3 innings, allowing one hit. All four Hollywood runs were unearned due to five Panther errors as they totaled 17 in three games last week.
Gardena has a two-game league series against Carson, last year’s Marine champion, this week. After visiting the Colts on Wednesday, the Panthers host Carson Friday at 3 p.m. On Saturday, Gardena begins the San Fernando Tournament at home against Arleta, beginning at 11 a.m. The Panthers resume league at Narbonne in Harbor City next Wednesday at 3 p.m.
____________________________
CSUDH men and women’s hoops teams fall in finals
The Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball program had a historical season this year.
Both the Toro men’s and women’s squads swept the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season and conference tournaments, won the NCAA Division II Western Regionals, and made it to the finals of the national division playoffs. Unfortunately, both fell short to top seeds. It was the first time in the Cal State Dominguez 64-year basketball history that this accomplishment was made.
Last Friday in Pittsburgh, PA, the Lady Toros fell to Grand Valley State University from Michigan 70-58. On Saturday at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., the CSDH men’s team fell one point short to Nova Southeastern University from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 74-73.
In the Division II quarterfinals and semifinals, the Cal State Dominguez men fell behind by 17 points to West Liberty University from South Carolina before pulling off an 86-84 win on March 25. Last Thursday, the Toros once trailed by 19 points before rallying for a 94-83 overtime win over Dallas Baptist. That put CSDH into the championship game against Nova Southeastern. In a thrilling see-saw game, David Cheatam’s buzzer-beating jumper fell short and Nova celebrated its title.
In that game, Nova started well but the Toros came back with a 42-38 halftime lead. In the second half, Nova bounced back to lead by as many as eight points before Cal State Dominguez took a few slim leads including 73-72 on a basket by Cheatam with 24 seconds left in the game. Seven seconds later, the Toros’ Jordan Hilstock fouled Nova’s M.J. Iraldi, who made both free throws for a one-point Nova lead. From there, CSDH got the ball and passed around before giving it to Cheatam. His heroic was not as successful as 24 seconds earlier as it failed to go through.
Former Serra High standout Jeremy Dent-Smith, now a junior at Cal State Dominguez, led the Toros with 27 points, tying the game-high with Iraldi who also scored 27. Both scored 18 of those points in the second half. Dent-Smith also pulled down 10 rebounds. Cheatam added 15 points. Adam Afifi contributed nine points and five rebounds, and Alex Garcia chipped in eight points.
Iraldi had nine rebounds to go with his 27 points for Nova. Tommy Sala finished with 14 points, followed by Dallas Grazeni with 13.
Against Dallas Baptist in the semifinal, CSDH appeared to be doomed down 35-16 midway in the first half. From there, the Toros began to rally down by seven (41-34) by halftime. Cal State Dominguez finally caught Dallas Baptist as Garcia’s three-point basket with 2.8 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 76 sending it into overtime. In the overtime period, the Toros outscored Dallas Baptist 18-7 to advance to the final.
Dent-Smith led CSDH with 33 points. Afifi and Hilstock each had 15 points.
On the women’s side last Friday, Grand Valley came out storming with a commanding 38-21 halftime lead. The Lady Toros managed to outscore the Lakers in each of the next two quarters but it was not enough as they ended their season with an astounding 36-2 record, while Grand Valley finished at 38-2.
Asia Jordan led CSDH with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kya Pearson added 11 points and four steals. Nola Williams chipped in seven points.
The Lakers had three players score in double figures led sisters Mae Kenzie and Rylie Basballe with 14 and 13 points, in order. Eldie Droste added 11 points.
In the semifinal on March 26, Cal State Dominguez finished off Union from Tennessee 68-50.
The Toros had good scoring depth with four players in double figures. Williams led with 21 points and five assists. Jordan contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds. Teagan Thurman and Christina Jones finished with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Emily Jones led Union with 13 points.
_____________________________
North splits league games with Wiseburn-Da Vinci
North Torrance High’s baseball team began last week’s two-game Pioneer League series with a 9-2 home win over El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci before falling short to the host Wolves 6-5 last Thursday.
In the Saxons’ win, Lucas Blackwood went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and three runs scored. Among his four hits were a pair of run-scoring doubles. Daniel Park went 2-for-4 with a double.
On Friday, North fell behind 6-0 but nearly pulled the game out scoring one run in the top of the sixth and four in the seventh.
Nicky Gonzalez highlighted the Saxons (5-10-1 overall and 2-5 in league) going 2-for-3.
Lonnie Jackson sparked Wiseburn-Da Vinci with two hits, including a home run, and three RBI’s.
North plays four non-league games over the next week. The Saxons host St. Bernard from Playa del Rey today at 3:30 p.m. North remains at home against Santa Monica St. Monica Friday at 3 p.m. and against Hawthorne next Monday at 3:30 p.m.
Serra recorded three consecutive non-league wins, all at home. On March 22, the Cavaliers downed Lawndale 13-8. On March 26, Serra routed Legacy from South Gate 13-2. Last Friday, the Cavaliers blanked Lennox Academy 10-0.
In Serra’s win against Lennox Academy, Gabe Casillas went the distance with a two-hitter and 10 strikeouts.
Edwin Elliot and C.J. Hughes each had two hits. Hughes hit a three-run homer. Marc Emmerson went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases.
Against Legacy, Salvador Rodriguez went 3-for 4 and drove in two runs. He scored once.
Hughes a big day against Lawndale. He was 3-for-4 with five RBI’s and two runs. Ethan Verrela went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs. He scored one run and had two doubles. Trevor Anderson was 3-for-4 with three runs. Isaiah Molina went 2-for-3 with two runs and Tom Pryor was 2-for-3 with one run.
Serra returned to Del Rey League action against La Salle High of Pasadena at Arcadia Regional Park last Tuesday. The Cavaliers host the Lancers Friday at 3 p.m. Serra will host Maywood Center of Enriched Studies from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section in the San Fernando Tournament Saturday at 10 a.m. before resuming Del Rey action at home against La Puente Bishop Amat next Tuesday at 3 p.m.
