By Loren Kopff
Victor Sanchez is making a strong case to become one of John Glenn’s best baseball pitchers of all-time, if not the best. The junior left-handed hurler worked five innings and yielded only a first inning run as the Eagles cruised past host Artesia 9-1 this past Wednesday.
Sanchez improved to 5-0 and lowered his earned run average to 0.66. As a team, the Eagles increased their mark to 10-2 overall, 3-0 in the Suburban League. Glenn is off to its best league start since 2008 when it swept Norwalk and Artesia to begin the season. Ironically, Glenn has opened the 2014 league slate with those two schools.
Glenn tied the game in the top of the second on a groundout from senior designated hitter Faustino Colon. In the fourth, Colon drove in two more with a base hit to center and scored on one of four Artesia errors.
With Glenn leading 6-1 in the sixth, the Eagles wrapped up the scoring when junior shortstop Jacob Carr homered to center, bringing in sophomore pinch runner Sammy Lopez and senior right fielder Martin Sandoval. Carr went two for two and senior catcher David Correa also picked up a pair of hits as the Eagles are a win away from matching their total from each of the past two seasons.
Glenn will host Artesia today and St. Bernard on Saturday in a Redondo Tournament game before visiting La Mirada on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Eagles will host the Matadores.
Junior third baseman Javier Vazquez had two of the three hits Artesia (3-11, 1-4) got. The Pioneers will host Norwalk on Tuesday and visit the Lancers on Thursday.
In other baseball action, Cerritos dropped its fourth straight game following a 5-4 setback to Mayfair this past Wednesday. The Dons (6-9, 1-4) will host the Monsoons today, then visit Costa Mesa on Wednesday.
Gahr edged Warren 5-3 this past Tuesday in a matchup of not only the top two San Gabriel Valley League teams, but also two of the top four teams in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division III coaches’ poll. The top-ranked Gladiators (11-2, 1-0) will visit the Bears today before opening first round action of the prestigious Hard 9 Baseball Club National Classic on Monday against San Jose-based Valley Christian.
Norwalk (3-8, 0-5) fell to Bellflower 7-0 this past Wednesday to remain the only club without a Suburban League victory. The Lancers will visit the Buccaneers today. Valley Christian dropped a 9-6 decision to Maranatha this past Tuesday night and fell to 4-7 overall, 0-5 in the Olympic League. The Crusaders will host the Minutemen today before visiting St. Bernard on Tuesday in the front end of a home and home series. The second game with the Vikings will be on Thursday.
Whitney remained winless in nine games this season, four in Academy League action as the Wildcats will visit St. Margaret’s today, Brethren Christian on Tuesday and host B.C. on Thursday.
SOFTBALL
The hottest team in the area, Cerritos, swept a doubleheader against St. Joseph last Saturday. Junior pitcher Jennifer Iseri struck out 15 and gave up just two sixth inning hits as the Lady Dons won the opener 3-2. Iseri had allowed only three base runners through the first five innings, walking McKenna Michael twice and Cheyanne Garcia once. At one point, Iseri struck out eight straight batters.
Cerritos scored all of its runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by junior left fielder Megan Darling’s two-run triple to the left field gap. She would score on an error on that same play.
In the second game, junior pitcher Melanie Okazaki scattered four hits and yielded only a sixth inning run as the Lady Dons smashed the Jesters 11-1 in a game that was called in the bottom of the sixth due to the mercy rule. Okazaki struck out five while Iseri, junior right fielder Heather Cameron, senior second baseman Lilianna Herrera and junior catcher Madison Lee all went two for four.
The Lady Dons (10-2, 4-1) saw their 10-game winning streak snapped this past Wednesday when Suburban League rival Mayfair scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and once in the eighth to rally for an 8-7 win. Cerritos will host Mayfair today, then play Bellflower on Thursday in a Whittier Christian Tournament game.
In other softball action, Valley Christian ended a 13-game losing streak with a 3-2 home win over Maranatha this past Tuesday in the Olympic League opener for both. V.C. visited Village Christian on Apr. 10 in its last game until hosting Heritage Christian on Apr. 22.
Whitney opened up Academy League action this past Tuesday with a 6-5 loss to Downey Calvary Chapel. The Lady Wildcats (2-4, 0-1) will visit Brethren Christian today and Crean Lutheran on Tuesday before taking the next two weeks off.
