Tri Park rolls over Lennox for district crown; downs Beverly Hills
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
The Tri Park Senior Little League All-Star baseball team captured the District 37 championship by pulling away for a 12-3 victory over Lennox on June 23 at Jim Thorpe Park in Hawthorne.
Tri Park batters flexed their muscles as they belted six home runs, three of those in the bottom of the sixth inning where they scored seven runs to blow the game open.
Tri Park rolls over Lennox for district crown; downs Beverly Hills
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
The Tri Park Senior Little League All-Star baseball team captured the District 37 championship by pulling away for a 12-3 victory over Lennox on June 23 at Jim Thorpe Park in Hawthorne.
Tri Park batters flexed their muscles as they belted six home runs, three of those in the bottom of the sixth inning where they scored seven runs to blow the game open.
Tri Park led 5-3 entering the bottom of the sixth. After one out, Saul Martinez hit his second homer of the game. It was not finished from there. Andy Castellanos was hit by a pitch but was forced out at second base when Max Rojas hit into a fielder’s choice. That was followed by walks to Danny Perez and Chris Villavencio loading the bases. That set the stage for Daniel Villa who blasted a grand slam over the left field fence as Tri Park extended its lead to 11-3. Vincent Rojas, then, homered for the final score.
“It was a good game,” Tri Park manager Will Castellano said. “Lennox was a tough team. The boys hit the ball well.”
Tri Park began the game slugging. Solo homers from winning pitcher Anthony Payan and Martinez gave Tri Park a 2-0 lead.
Lennox, which had two Carl Magee, Jr. District 37 Tournament of Champions finalists where the Athletics downed the Titans 10-4 on June 13, cut Tri Park’s lead to 2-1 when Salvador Mercado led off the top of the second with a solo homer over the short field.
In the bottom of the second, Tri Park came back with Payan’s second solo shot. Tri Park added two more runs in the third. After one out, Perez was hit by a pitch, then scored on a double from Villavencio. One out later, Rojas singled home Villavencio for a 5-1 Tri Park lead.
Lennox came back with two runs in the top of the fifth, behind a run-scoring double by Jesus Sanchez and an RBI (run batted in) single from Victor Valdez.
Tri Park, however, put the game out of reach with the big sixth.
Two different Tri Park players each hit two home runs in Payan and Martinez. They also each drove in three runs.
Martinez was 3-for-3 with two RBI’s. Payan went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs.
Payan, who will be a junior at St. John Bosco High in Bellflower, pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He struck out six batters and walked one.
Tri Park started the Section 4 Tournament with a 10-4 win over District 25 champion Beverly Hills on Sunday. Tri Park faced host and powerhouse Manhattan Beach Monday at the larger Marine Park but results were unavailable.
All-CIF Baseball and Softball
Torrance gets top softball honors
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Torrance High’s softball team, which captured the CIF-Southern Section Division IV championship over Highland from Palmdale on June 6 at Deanna Barber Park in Irvine, had head coach Don Glavich get Coach of the Year honors and two players on all-CIF.
Junior pitcher Marissa Moreno, who was also the Daily Breeze South Bay Player of the Year, landed on the team, as did junior utility Jade Arseanian.
North Torrance, which made the Division IV second round where it lost to El Segundo, had junior outfielder Lauren Sabihion honored.
Player of the Year was three-time all-American Rachel Garcia from Highland.
In baseball, Southern Section Division IV finalist South Torrance, which lost to Phelan Serrano 2-1 on June 6 at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino, had two players in utility Kawika Hubbell and pitcher Drake Pingel.
All-South Bay Track and Field
Serra’s Williams tops South Bay tracksters
By Joe Snyder
Staff Writer
Serra High senior Jaela Williams was named the Daily Breeze South Bay Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Williams was a standout hurdler and sprinter for the Lady Cavaliers, who finished fourth in the CIF-Southern Section Division IV finals and were seventh in the California State Championships on June 6 at Buchanan High’s Memorial Stadium in Clovis.
Williams ran a personal best time of 13.63 seconds for a fourth place finish in the state championships in the 300-meter hurdles. She also had a 13.69 in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in April in Walnut.
Williams was especially effective down the stretch. She led Serra’s 4×100-meter relay team that also included Madison Golden, Morgan Pecanette and sophomore Jasmine Reed to a second place finish, behind champion Westlake Village Oaks Christian (45.66) with a season best time of 45.82.
Williams transferred to Serra from Roosevelt High from Eastvale over last summer. She won the state 300 hurdles title at Roosevelt in 2014.
Reed showed promise as she won Del Rey League titles in the 100 (11.94) and 200 (24.75). She owns a personal best of 11.82 in the 100 she did at the CIF-Southern Section Masters Championships on May 28 at Cerritos College.
Coach of the Year for Serra was Chris Faulknor.
Also making all-area was junior Jeanette Paul from CIF-Los Angeles City champion Carson. Paul won City titles in the 100 (12.31) and 300 hurdles (43.31). She also helped the Lady Colts; finish second in the L.A. City finals in the 400 relay and third in the 1,600 relay on May 27 at Cerritos College.
Bishop Montgomery high jumper Tessa Allen made all-area. She was fifth in the state with a leap of five feet, five inches.
South Torrance distance runner Kimberly Coscia was also on first team. She was a state finalist in the 3,200 where she was 14th. Coscia was Pioneer League champion in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Locals on second team included Madison Golden (Serra), Emily Atkinson (West Torrance), Tyra Jackson (Torrance), Devin McCloud (Carson) and Janarie Rhambo (Bishop Montgomery).
Serra’s boys, who were second behind Ojai Nordhoff in the Southern Section Division IV finals, had two athletes on the all-South Bay first team in Zinovian Cannady and Malik Roberson. Cannady won the Mira Costa Mustang Relays in the 110-meter high hurdles and helped the Cavaliers’ 4×100 relay team to league and Southern Section Division IV crowns. He was also second in the 100 meters at the Division IV championships on May 22 at Cerritos College.
Roberson, who was a standout football-track and field athlete, swept the Del Rey by winning the 100 (10.89) and 200 (22.310. He was also on the Cavaliers’ league and Division IV championship 400 relay squad.
CIF-L.A. City champion Carson, which also took fourth in state, dominated top honors as Justin Collins was Athlete of the Year and head coach Amrit Lal was top coach. Collins won the state 300 intermediate hurdles in 36.65. He was also state finalist in the 110 highs and helped the Colt boys’ 4×400 relay squad into the state finals.
The Colts also had junior Ryan Hall and Brendan Scott make first team. Hall won the City 200 title clocking 21.48 and was on Carson’s City championship 400 relay team.
Scott was City triple jump champion and was eighth in the state at the event.
Bishop Montgomery’s Justin Moore also made first team. The junior won the Del Rey crown in the 300 intermediate hurdles in 40.41. He took third in the 110 highs.
Locals on second team included Tyron Johnson (Serra), Akinyele Turner (Serra), Carson Bix (Torrance), Tyree Harris (Torrance), Sean Riley (Narbonne) and Caleb Terrill (West Torrance).
North Torrance Little League
North Torrance Majors Stay Alive by outlasting Harbor City
By Joe Snyder
Staff Writer
The North Torrance Major Little League All-Star baseball team is alive in the District 27 Tournament after outlasting Harbor City 9-8 in seven innings Saturday at West Torrance Little League’s Entradero Park.
North pulled out the game in the bottom of the seventh when Alex Sandoval singled home Julian Juarez after two out.
Sandoval had an outstanding game as he pitched the last three innings in relief, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced.
Gavin Groe had a home run for North.
In a very good see-saw game, North held a 2-0 lead but Harbor City bounced back to lead 3-2. North, then, scored four runs in the bottom of the third but Harbor City came back with five to take an 8-6 lead, behind a three-run homer from Michael Smart.
“We battled back,” North manager Frank Groe said.
North played Eastview of San Pedro last Tuesday at Entradero.
