By Joe Snyder
Serra High’s baseball team was unable to cross home plate in shutout losses to host Bishop Montgomery and visiting Paraclete in Del Rey League action last week.
At Bishop Montgomery on March 5, the Cavaliers were blanked by the Knights 3-0. At Serra last Friday, the Spirits from Lancaster did the same to the Cavaliers 5-0.
Against Paraclete, Serra had a few opportunities but could not score. It mustered five hits. Four Cavalier errors led to four Spirit unearned runs.
At Bishop Montgomery in Torrance, both teams were locked in a scoreless tie entering the bottom of the sixth inning before the Knights scored all three of their runs. It started when Brody Cuellar hit a two-run home run. Michael Wuebben added a run-scoring base hit.
The Cavaliers, who fell to 3-5 overall and 0-4 in league, had only two hits that included a first inning double Amari Hackett and a bunt-single from Kelvin Martinez in the top of the sixth.
Serra has a pair of non-league games at Palos Verdes Friday at 3:15 p.m. and at home against North Torrance Saturday at 10 a.m. The Cavaliers resume Del Rey action at home against Pasadena La Salle next Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Gardena continued to struggle after losing a non-league game at home against Animo Leadership from Inglewood 7-4 on Friday and a San Fernando Tournament contest to San Fernando Vaughn 9-2 on Saturday, also at Gardena.
Sophomore Francisco Pavon had a good week, going 2-for-3 against Animo and 3-for-4 with one run batted in against Vaughn.
Also, against Vaughn, Derek Norris, Daniel Serna, and Nate Guzman each had two hits.
Gardena hosted Harbor Teacher Prep last Monday and Port of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Panthers (1-5) will have a tournament game against Animo Leadership on Saturday at 1 p.m. before beginning the brutal Marine League at home against always powerful San Pedro next Monday at 3 p.m.
North Torrance began the Pioneer League with a pair of road losses to El Segundo, one of those games having to be there due to maintenance on the Saxons’ field.
Last Friday, North was shut out by the Eagles 6-0. On Saturday, in a make-up game due to a March 7 rainout, the Saxons (2-10 overall and 0-2 in league) put up a battle before falling to El Segundo in nine innings 3-2.
On Saturday, starting pitcher Makato Nakawake pitched eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Eric Yamashiro went 2-for-4 with one run and Ethan Rhodes was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Justin Olivar was the losing pitcher for North.
The Saxons had a non-league game at Leuzinger on Wednesday in Lawndale and visit Serra in Gardena Saturday at 10 a.m.
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Lady Knights capture state Division I championship
Bishop Montgomery High’s girls’ basketball team won its first CIF-State Division I championship since 2003 with a 52-40 win over Bishop O’ Dowd from Oakland last Friday at the Golden One Arena in Sacramento.
The Lady Knights raced to a 35-14 halftime lead but Bishop O’ Dowd managed to get as close as eight points on a three-point basket by Mella Chepmon with 5:55 left in the game. Tiera Jones came back with a three-pointer of her own as Bishop Montgomery put the game away.
Jordin Blackmon led Bishop Montgomery’s balanced scoring with 15 points, followed closely by Cyriah Coleman with 14. Each player had six rebounds.
It was the second time the Knights defeated O’ Dowd. On Dec. 22 in the Nike Tournament, Bishop Montgomery rolled over O’ Dowd 57-33.
The previous time the Lady Knights won state was Division I in 2003, behind Noelle Quinn, who went on to play in the Women’s National Basketball Association and coached Bishop Montgomery a few years ago.
In the Southern California Regional Division I championship game on March 5 at Bishop Montgomery, the Knights held off Brentwood 71-68 for the crown.
Tiara Jones led the Knights with 20 points. Armanyie Reed added 15 points and Blackmon chipped in 11.
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CSUDH hoopsters advance in playoffs
Despite losing to rival and eventual California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament champion Cal State Los Angeles in the conference tournament semifinals, the Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Western Regional playoffs where it opens on Friday against Central Washington University beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Cal State L.A.
Against the Golden Eagles in the semis last Friday at Cal State San Bernardino, former Serra High standout Jeremy Dent-Smith had a game-high 29 points which helped the Toros make a desperate fourth quarter rally but fell on the short end of a 75-73 score.
Cal State L.A., which went on to come from behind to top host Cal State San Bernardino 73-62 last Saturday, raced out to a 41-32 halftime lead. The Toros managed to take a few leads but the Golden Eagles were able to come out on top.
Also keying Cal State Dominguez, which fell to 22-7 overall after tying Cal State San Bernardino for the regular season title each at 17-5, were Jakob Alamedan with 18 points and seven rebounds and Alex Garcia with 10 points.
It is the third time the Toros lost to CSLA, losing in regular season CCAA play at 81-66 and 74-67. Cal State Dominguez, which is seeded fourth in the tournament, has another shot at the host Eagles in the regional semifinals on Saturday, if CSLA, the top seed, defeats Azusa Pacific University on Friday and CSDH defeats Central Washington. The championship was last Monday. The elite eight begins Friday in Evansville, Indiana.
The Eagles were led by Shane Bell and Eche Okele with 16 points apiece.
Cal State Dominguez was the second seed, while Cal State L.A. (24-7) was third. Cal State San Bernardino was top seed.
The Lady Toros lost in the quarterfinals to eventual tournament champion Cal State San Marcos, also at Cal State San Bernardino.
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Serra track strong at Redondo Invite
Serra High’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams had several athletes participate at last Friday and Saturday’s Redondo Nike Festival with some good showings.
The Lady Cavaliers were led by Jaiya Fletcher who finished third in the 100-meter hurdles at 15.4 seconds. Winning the race was Sanya Miles from Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial clocking 14.71 and placing second was Anise Beckeh of Long Beach Poly in 15.25.
Serra’s girls’ 800-meter sprint relay also excelled with a third-place finish timing 1:51 to place behind winner Long Beach Poly (1:49.16) and second place Las Vegas Centennial (1:49.81).
In the 100-meter dash Isabella Samuel (12.63) and freshman Eryn Carter (12.7) were 20th and 21st, in order, for the Cavaliers.
For Serra’s boys, their 4×100-meter relay team, led by Dakoda Fields and freshman Wesley Ace, recorded a strong time of 42.75 for a sixth-place overall finish. Concord De La Salle won the event clocking 41.81. Ace was ninth overall in the 100 at 10.8. The top overall finisher was Long Beach Poly freshman Benjamin Harris clocking 10.44, one of the top freshman times in the United States this year. Torrance’s Nicolas Obimgba, a sophomore, was second clocking 10.63.
The Lady Tartars were led by shot putter Kiana Greer who tied for first place with Colon Gipson from Chula Vista Otay Ranch in the shot put at 38 feet, 11 inches.
Serra is expected to compete in the California Relays on Saturday at Long Beach Wilson High, beginning at 8 a.m.
Torrance and North Torrance will vie in the Mira Costa Mustang Relays on Saturday in Manhattan Beach.
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