By Joe Snyder
North Torrance High’s baseball team took a rest from the Pioneer League and recorded two non-league wins at home over Playa del Rey St. Bernard 9-8 in nine innings last Thursday and 10-2 over Santa Monica St. Monica on Friday.
Against St. Bernard, it was mostly a see-saw game. North held a 6-4 lead after three innings and were tied at seven after four and eight after five. The Saxons pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Eric Yamashiro hit a three-run home run for North (7-9 overall and 2-4 in league). Lucas Blackwood and Nikky Gonzalez each had two hits and scored two runs. Shane Yamamoto had a run-scoring hit and scored twice.
Against St. Monica, the Saxons scored five runs in the bottom of the second, three in the fourth and two in the fifth for the rout.
Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with three RBI’s and Blackwood went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs.
“St. Monica was a good team,” North head coach Andre Van Gerwen said. “Our offense did really well. Our hitting has been hot.”
After hosting Hawthorne last Monday, North will be at home against Palos Verdes in another non-league game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Saxons host Venice in non-league next Monday at 3:30 p.m. before resuming Pioneer action against league leading El Segundo at John Stevenson Field at El Segundo Recreation Park next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
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Serra slips past La Salle; easily defeats Maywood
Serra High’s baseball team began last week by edging host Pasadena La Salle 6-5 on April 1 at Arcadia Regional Park, but had its home game against the Lancers postponed due to a medical emergency of a La Salle player when the team was bound for Serra last Friday.
The Cavaliers played a home non-league game against Maywood Center of Enriched Studies from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section and came away with an 8-2 victory on Saturday.
Against La Salle on April 1, Serra had a balanced offensive attack led by Amari Hackett who went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Tim Pryor was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. C.J. Hughes and Marc Emmerman each went 2-for-4.
Winning pitcher Josh Bronson pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs (one earned). Emmerman pitched three innings allowing no earned runs with five strikeouts. Hughes pitched the final inning for the save.
Hughes continued to excel in the Cavaliers’ win over Maywood. He missed hitting the cycle by a triple with a home run, double and two singles for four RBI’s. He scored twice.
Serra broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Cavaliers, who are 11-4 overall and 3-4 in the Del Rey League, have good experience with returning all-Del Rey League players in Hugues, Bronson, Emmerman and Pryor.
“I’m happy with the way the players are coming along,” Serra head coach A.J. Perry said. “We have two games against Bishop Amat (last Tuesday at home and Friday at Bishop Amat). We are looking to take the series from them. I’m real excited about the season. We’re looking forward to it.”
Last Friday’s game against the Lancers was postponed after the medical emergency. The game is rescheduled for May 6.
After hosting Bishop Amat last Tuesday, Serra visits the Lancers in La Puente Friday at 3:15 p.m. The Cavaliers host Valley Academy of Arts and Science from San Fernando in the San Fernando Tournament on Saturday at 10 a.m. before hosting Leuzinger from Lawndale next Wednesday at 3 p.m.
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GHS topped by Carson; falls to Arleta
Gardena High’s baseball team could not find any solution against very good Marine League teams in a pair of five-inning mercy rule losses to Carson and a San Fernando Tournament loss to Arleta on Saturday.
The Colts, who were last year’s Marine League champions and CIF-Los Angeles City Open Division semifinalists last season but lost a large majority of their top players from those times, still managed to humiliate the hapless Panthers by scores of 13-1 on April 3 at Carson and 18-1 last Friday at Gardena.
Last Friday, the Colts used a balanced offensive attack led by Nate Rion who went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Jaziah Aoredano was 2-for-2 and drove in two runs. Victor Alvarez went 2-for-3 and scored a run and Noah Sandoval had a two-run double.
Carson started fast by scoring seven runs in the top of the first inning and continued to build on that commanding lead from there. The Panthers scored their only run in the bottom of the second inning.
Gardena pitching caught “walkitus” on Saturday, surrendering 16 free passes to Arleta batters in a 22-10 loss. Arleta needed just seven hits for its 22 runs as the Panthers outhit Arleta 10-7.
Gardena’s offense was sparked by Francisco Pavon who had a two-run double and Jody Hernandez with a run-scoring double.
The Panthers (0-4 in the Marine League and 7-12 overall) visited Narbonne in Harbor City on Wednesday and host the Gauchos Friday at 3 p.m. in league. Gardena faces Chavez High from East L.A. in the Dennis Gilbert Revival of Baseball in the Inner Cities Classic Friday at 10 a.m. at the Urban Youth Academy on the campus of Compton College. From there, Gardena does not have another game until April 26 in the San Fernando Classic at Gardena against Monroe High from Sepulveda before resuming league at Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach on April 30.
