The Culver City High School varsity baseball team won in thrilling fashion at Beverly Hills Apr. 11 after rallying back in extra innings to defeat the Normans, 7-4, sweeping its opening series of Ocean League play. The bats came alive early for Culver City, Apr. 9, as the Centaurs won the conference opener, 5-0, against Beverly in Culver City.
The Centaurs (7-1 at home, 12-4 overall) play at Hawthorne, Apr. 18, and at Inglewood, Apr. 23They host the Sentinels, Apr. 25.
In the 10th inning of the 7-4 Centaur victory, a walk sent Timothy Stewart to first base, where he visited briefly, after a Max Akita bunt advanced him to second. Stewart stole third, then eventually made his way home for a 5-4 lead after a bad throw by the Norman catcher sailed over the head of the third baseman.
Akita advanced to second base on the error, and he scored when Juan Alcala singled to right field. Alcala came home after a double by Michael Netzel for a 7-4 advantage.
The Centaurs started the game with a run by Jay Sterner produced from a Stewart double to left field. Daniel Hennessy joined the action in the fifth inning with a double to center field to bring home Darian Sylvester and Netzel.
Nate Matthews held the Normans to one run before he was relieved in the fifth. He was replaced by Eli Bowie. Bowie gave up three runs in an inning of work that had the Centaurs trailing, 4-3.
Matthews returned to pitch in the ninth inning after he tied the game on a Sterner double in the seventh.
Head coach Rick Prieto was unsatisfied with Culver’s 5-0 season opening win.
After a five run first inning that included a walk, a steal, and three RBI’s, the Centaurs were halted. They were were held scoreless after their terrific start, despite aggressive base running.
“When you score five runs in the first inning and then you’re blanked in the next five, it’s not something that you take lightly,” Prieto said “They could have scored two here and two there and next thing you know it’s a 6-5 ball game. I’ve been telling them that from the second inning that five will not win this ball game.”
It may be a challenging season for Prieto and his team. Following their deep playoff run last season, Prieto saw half his team graduate leaving him with few returners and many first year varsity players.
The most noticeable position is their pitching where their ace pitcher is only a sophomore.
Despite the youth, Prieto doesn’t see this team as one for rebuilding. He still has the same goal he’s had for 10 seasons: Make the playoffs.
“The term reload, I don’t know what that means. We’re Culver City baseball. We play baseball the same way every year. We come, we’re committed and we practice hard,” Prieto said “We assess and evaluate our players daily and when it’s time to play they are going to be ready to play the game.”
Culver went undefeated in league (10-0) last year.
It’s a long season, and the Centaurs are looking forward to the challenge.
