By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
For the second time this season, Valley Christian High’s baseball team had good enough pitching beat Village Christian but came away with another loss to the Olympic League’s first place team. Valley Christian was limited to three hits and was blanked by the visiting Crusaders 5-0 this past Tuesday.
Valley Christian fell to Village Christian, the fourth ranked team in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division V top 10 poll, 5-0 on Mar. 24 despite a complete game, three-hitter from junior Zach Krosschell. This time around, sophomore Brett Garcia went six innings, scattering five hits and striking out four while issuing four walks. Two of the five runs Garcia allowed were earned.
Village Christian scored in the top of the first inning as Garcia walked Cameron Wetherby, who would score on the first of four wild pitches. It remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when Garcia’s counterpart, Gordon Ingebritson, doubled and came home on the second of four errors. Eric Oseguera, who would be hit by a pitch, also scored on an error.
Village Christian runners would steal seven bases while the host Crusaders could only get a second inning double from senior left fielder Roger Ramos and fifth inning singles from Krosschell and junior shortstop Travis French for its three hits. Valley Christian would also have two runners reach on walks in the bottom of the first but one was caught stealing and the other would be doubled up.
Valley Christian (15-7, 4-3) visited Village Christian on Apr. 28 and will travel to Maranatha High on Tuesday in the front end of a home and home series with the league’s third place team.
In other baseball action, Artesia High saw its losing streak extend to 13 games following a 5-1 loss to Norwalk High this past Wednesday. The Pioneers (5-16 overall, 0-7 in the Suburban League), whose last win was on Apr. 19 against St. Anthony High, will visit Norwalk (6-13, 1-6) today before coming back home to face Mayfair High on Wednesday. Norwalk will host league-leading La Mirada High on Wednesday as well.
Gahr High continues to be streaking along and has now won nine straight games. The Gladiators (17-5 overall, 5-0 in the San Gabriel Valley League) edged Warren High 5-4 last Friday, outdueled Lakewood High 10-6 in nine innings last Saturday in the semifinals of the Redondo Tournament and knocked off Paramount High 9-4 this past Tuesday. The Gladiators, who hosted Paramount on Apr. 28, will entertain Downey High on Tuesday in the first of two game with the Vikings that will decide who wins the league. Downey is also 5-0 in league action.
After sweeping Norwalk the previous week, John Glenn High dropped its mark to 11-11 and 2-5 in the Suburban League following a setback to Mayfair this past Wednesday. The Eagles will host the Monsoons today before going to Cerritos High on Wednesday.
SOFTBALL
The Suburban League continues to stay tight as six teams are still jockeying for four automatic playoff berths. Norwalk blanked Artesia 16-0 this past Wednesday and a home win over the Pioneers today will put the Lady Lancers in a first place tie with La Mirada. Norwalk improved to 10-7, 6-1 while the Pioneers fell to 5-6, 2-5. Artesia and Glenn are tied for fifth place, a game behind Cerritos, which knocked off Bellflower High 7-3 this past Wednesday. Cerritos improved to 6-13-1, 3-4 and will host Bellflower today while Glenn, a 1-0 loser to Mayfair this past Wednesday, is 8-10, 2-5. The Lady Eagles are home to Mayfair today before visiting Cerritos on Wednesday.
Gahr had a rough going at North Torrance High this past Monday in a doubleheader. The Gladiators allowed the Saxons to score in the bottom of the sixth in a 3-2 loss, then squandered leads of 5-0 and 9-6 in the final two innings as the nightcap ended in a 9-9 tie. Gahr came back to blast Lynwood High 11-0 this past Tuesday to improve to 18-5-2 overall and 6-0 in the San Gabriel Valley League. Gahr travelled to Warren High on Apr. 28 in a first place battle with the Bears and will come home to face Paramount High on Tuesday before going to Downey High on Thursday.
Valley Christian picked up its third win on the season and is still alive for a playoff berth. The Lady Crusaders, who trailed Whittier Christian 8-3 after four innings this past Tuesday, rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth and scored the game winner in the seventh in a 9-8 win. The Lady Crusaders swept the Heralds this season and were in third place in the Olympic League with a 2-3 mark, a game behind Maranatha High. V.C. will visit league-leading Heritage Christian High on Tuesday and host Village Christian High on Thursday.
Whitney High lost to Crean Lutheran High 4-3 this past Tuesday and saw its record drop to 7-9 overall, 1-3 in the Academy League. The Lady Wildcats will host Samueli Academy today and make up a doubleheader at Newport Harbor on Saturday before returning to league action on Tuesday with a road meeting against Oxford Academy.
