NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW
By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
LAKEWOOD-Norwalk High sophomore pitcher Breanna Vasquez threw six innings of no-hit ball against Mayfair High and allowed just three runners over that span this past Wednesday. Unfortunately, those six innings came after the Monsoons scored three runs in the bottom of the first and held on for a 3-1 win.
On the first pitch from Vasquez, Eryka Springer beat out an infield chopper sent to senior shortstop Kathleen Perez. After Kara Spoolstra moved her over to second on a sacrifice, Springer came home on Sarah Parten’s double to the center field fence. Two pitches later, Ashlee Snyder homered just past where Parten’s double went and the hosts had themselves a 3-0 lead.
While Vasquez would retire 17 of the next 20 batters she faced, Norwalk’s offense couldn’t generate much against Makenna Stram. The Lady Lancers got a two-out double from senior left fielder Briana Lopez in the top of the first and two-out singles from junior first baseman Ashley Ponce in the second and junior third baseman Samantha Navarrete in the third.
But in the fourth, senior center fielder Serena Nicolas took a 1-2 pitch from Stram and deposited it over the centerfield fence for her second home run of the season. After that, Norwalk would get two runners on base, both coming from senior catcher Samantha Ontiveros. She would reach on an error after the Nicolas home run and she would get hit by a Stram pitch in the fifth.
Norwalk dropped to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in the Suburban League as the two teams will meet today at Norwalk. The Lady Lancers will then visit John Glenn High on Wednesday in the front end of a home and home series with their city rivals.
In other softball news, Artesia High hosts Bellflower High today before visiting Suburban League-leading La Mirada High on Wednesday. The Pioneers began this week with a 4-2 overall mark and 1-1 in league action.
Cerritos High continued to go in the opposite direction after getting trounced by Mayfair 10-0 this past Monday in a makeup game from last Friday and 11-1 by La Mirada this past Wednesday. The two-time defending league champs have lost eight in a row and stand at 4-11-1, 1-4 as they host La Mirada today. Cerritos will also host Gahr High on Wednesday.
After being swept by La Mirada during the first full week of April, John Glenn was on its bye but still faced Valley Christian High and posted a 3-0 victory this past Tuesday. The Lady Eagles (8-9) will resume league play on Wednesday against Norwalk. V.C. dropped to 2-13 and hosted Heritage Christian High before travelling to Village Christian High on Tuesday. The Lady Crusaders will then be home to Maranatha High on Thursday.
Whitney High lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to Oxford Academy in 10 innings this past Wednesday in the Academy League opener. The loss comes on the heels of a 5-4 setback to Cabrillo High as the Lady Wildcats are now 5-7 overall. Freshman pitcher Taylor Genera needs five more strikeouts to set the school record in that category for a freshman and is also closing in on the all-time single season school record of 114 strikeouts set by Jennifer Lukacs in 1999. Genera had 95 strikeouts following the loss against Oxford Academy. Whitney is home to Calvary Chapel Downey High on Tuesday.
BASEBALL
Artesia lost to Bellflower 7-0 this past Wednesday to remain winless in Suburban League action after three league contests. Overall, the Pioneers have dropped eight straight as they host Bellflower today and travel to La Mirada on Wednesday.
Gahr, the No. 1 team in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division II top 10 poll, opened up San Gabriel Valley League play with a 4-1 win over Lynwood High this past Tuesday. The Gladiators (12-5 overall) visit Lynwood today and face Peninsula High on Saturday in a Redondo Tournament game. Gahr will also host Warren High on Tuesday.
Glenn blanked Los Amigos High 5-0 this past Tuesday to finish the Newport Elks Tournament. The Eagles scored all five runs in the first inning after being blanked by La Mirada twice the previous week. The Eagles, who are the defending league champs, are 9-9 overall and 0-4 in the circuit, will host Norwalk on Wednesday.
The Lancers dropped to 5-10 overall and 0-3 in league action after a 3-0 loss to Mayfair this past Wednesday. Norwalk has yet to score a run in league action this season.
Valley Christian High blasted Santa Ana High 13-5 this past Monday to wrap up the Newport Elks Tournament. The Crusaders, who improved to 12-6, will host St. Bernard High on Saturday before resuming Olympic League action with a road game at Heritage Christian High on Tuesday.
