By Joe Snyder
North High in Torrance had very good pitching as it split two Pioneer League games with crosstown rival South High (Torrance) last week.
At South on March 27, the Saxons failed to get any offense in a 1-0 loss to the Spartans. At North last Friday, the Saxons were able to hold off South 2-1.
Last Friday, North pitcher Alex Yamashiro went 4 1/3 innings allowing one run on three hits. He had 10 strikeouts.
Nikko Archuleta went 2-for-3 and drove in one run for the Saxons in getting their second league win against six losses. Lucas Blackwood and Shouta Saito each had two hits.
At South, Justin Olivar went the distance allowing three hits only to be outmatched by the Spartans’ Peter Broughton who hurled a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts.
“He (Olivar) pitched very well,” North head coach Andre Van Gerwen said.
Colin Anderson had a double in the top of the fourth inning for the Saxons’ only hit.
South scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the first inning when Hayden Nelson singled to left field, scoring Tyler Dow.
In a non-league game on March 25 at Newport Harbor, North topped the Sailors 7-5.
Anderson hit a three-run home run for the Saxons.
Winning pitcher Yamashiro pitched four innings, allowing two runs.
North will visit Loyola High in Los Angeles for a non-league game Saturday at 11 a.m. before coming home to resume Pioneer action against always powerful Torrance next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Serra split a pair of non-league games last week. On March 26 at Loyola, the Cubs rolled over the Cavaliers 15-3. Last Thursday at Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates, Serra bounced back to rout the Panthers 13-1.
After visiting Banning in Wilmington on Wednesday, the Cavaliers host Warren High from Downey Friday at 3 p.m. before resuming the Del Rey League at Bishop Amat in La Puente next Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Taking spring break, including from the Marine League, Gardena won two of three games in the Dennis Gilbert RBI (Revival of Baseball in the Inner Cities) Tournament last week in Compton.
The Panthers, who are 3-11 overall and 0-2 in league, started out with a 15-4 crushing of Contreras High on March 26. Last Thursday, Gardena fell to Fremont 6-2. On Friday, the Panthers came back and held on for a 5-4 victory over Roybal Learning Center from Downtown L.A.
Daniel Serna sparked Gardena by going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and one run in its win over Roybal.
Serna also went 3-for-5, scored five runs and drove in two to key the Panthers over Contreras.
Gardena faces Dorsey in the Dorsey Tournament Friday at 4 p.m. before hosting Vaughn High from San Fernando Saturday at 10 a.m.
————————
North softball ends West’s win streak
North Torrance High’s softball team ended host West Torrance High’s 11-game winning streak with a 3-1 Pioneer League victory over the Warriors on March 27.
The Lady Saxons, who are 6-1 and tied with West for first place in the Pioneer League, were led by Makaana Cheatham who went 2-for-4 with a double and single.
Winning pitcher Kloie Ibay pitched five innings, allowing two hits to West.
The Warriors had two hits apiece by Kayla Vargas and Kamute Ho.
At Richmond Field in El Segundo last Friday, the Saxons rolled over the Eagles 9-2, avenging their earlier 4-3 loss on March 7.
North visits Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach for a non-league game next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. The Saxons resume league play at home against Wiseburn-Da Vinci from El Segundo on April 12 at the same time.
_______________
Adams makes All-CIF Sou. Section boys’ basketball teamSerra High sophomore guard Maximo Adams landed on the CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA boys’ basketball team, announced last week.
Adams averaged 22.3 points per game in keying the Cavaliers to the Division IIIAA semifinals where they fell short of Ventura St. Bonaventure 67-64 on Feb. 20 at Serra. The Cavaliers placed fourth in the highly competitive Del Rey League, led by league champion Downey St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, which was a Southern Section Open Division team.
In girls’ basketball, North Torrance High senior guard Reese Noa made the Division I team. Noa sparked the Lady Saxons to an undefeated Pioneer League championship at 10-0 in the CIF-Southern Section Division I quarterfinals where they fell at home to Santiago High from Corona 71-64 on Feb. 17.
Torrance High’s Monica Villanueva made the Southern Section Division IIIAA team. She keyed the Lady Tartars to the Division IIIAA semifinals and the Southern California Regional Division IV quarterfinals. Torrance finished third, behind champion North and runner-up West Torrance, in Pioneer play.
Bishop Montgomery’s Jordin Blackmon made the all-Southern Section Open Division. The Lady Knights were only 1-2 in the prestigious division before keying the Lady Knights to the CIF-State Division I title with a 52-40 win over Oakland Bishop O’ Dowd on March 8 at the Golden One Arena in Sacramento.
Also named last week was the Daily Breeze all-South Bay boys’ basketball team.
Serra had two players named to the first team in Adams and another sophomore sensation in guard Kaleb Kearse. Also on first team was Bishop Montgomery junior Christian Hall. The Knights had their worst season since the mid 1990’s in last place in the Del Rey League due to rebuilding with two freshmen and two sophomores starting.
Local players on second team all-area included senior forward Elliot Langston (North Torrance), senior center Promise Madubugwu (Gardena), senior guard Alton Jimmerson (North Torrance) and senior guard Jacob Ortega from CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division III champion Carson.
Madubugwu keyed the Panthers to their second consecutive Marine League championship. Gardena lost in the CIF-L.A. City Section Division I quarterfinals to host Fairfax 58-46 on Feb. 9. Langston and Jimmerson helped the Saxons to the Pioneer League tri-championship with eventual CIF-Southern Section Division VAA finalist El Segundo and El Segundo Wiseburn-Da Vinci. North lost in the quarterfinals to Irvine Woodbridge 53-38 on Feb. 14 at North.
South Bay Player of the Year was Mateo Trujillo from San Pedro Rolling Hills Prep while head San Pedro coach John Bobich was Coach of the Year. Trujillo keyed the Huskies to the CIF-Southern Section Division IIAA championship game where they fell short to Long Beach St. Anthony. Rolling Hills Prep opened the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs by upsetting No. 2 seed San Juan Capistrano Junipero Serra High before losing in the quarterfinals to Southern Section Division I champion Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Bobich guided the Pirates, who placed second in Marine play behind Gar ena, to the CIF-L.A. City Section Division I finals before falling to Washington on Feb. 24. San Pedro made the Southern California Division V playoffs but losing in the quarterfinals.
