Ranked fifth in the CIF-Southern Section Division III, the Culver City High School baseball team opened the Ocean League season by sweeping league rival Beverly Hills last week before losing to Bay League power Palos Verdes Saturday in a key Redondo Tournament game.
The Centaurs rolled over the Normans, 15-4, last Tuesday and at Beverly Hills last Thursday Culver completed the sweep of the Normans with a 3-1 victory.
In the Centaurs’ easy home victory, winning pitcher Tyler Mark pitched four innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out six batters. Pablo Saucedo closed out Beverly, allowing two runs on three hits.
Mark also had an outstanding game with the bat, going 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and three runs scored.
Jay Steiner was 3-for-4 with three RBI’s and scored three. Darian Sylvester, George Aceves, Skyler Blocker and Brian Ibarra each had two hits.
Last Thursday, Ibarra pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out four batters. Reliever Jay Steiner pitched the final two innings, giving up one run on two hits with four strikeouts for the save.
Keying Culver’s offense was Jon Kocker who went 2-for-3. Aceves and Adrian Perez each were 1-for-3.
In the Redondo Tournament at Culver City, the Centaurs fell to Palos Verdes, which is the preseason favorite to win the Bay League, 9-6.
The Sea Kings tagged Centaur starter Saucedo for seven runs in two innings. Reliever Mario Fragoso gave up two runs in an inning. Patrick Warfel and Jacob Elliott each pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game.
With the big deficit of 9-2 through three innings, Culver came back with two runs each in the bottom of the fifth and the seventh.
On offense, Timothy Stewart and Mark each had two hits and Jay Steiner, Kocker and Jacob Elliott each had a hit.
Culver had solid defense, good hitting and pitching in each of the three games, according to head coach Rick Prieto.
The Centaurs hosted another South Bay power, Torrance, on Wednesday and is at home for a doubleheader against Capistrano Valley Christian Saturday at 11 a.m.
After a shaky start, the Tartars, led by Cal State Fullerton-bound and pro prospect Tyrone Taylor, bounced back by sweeping host Redondo in a doubleheader, 5-3 and 3-2, on March 21, then edging Long Beach Millikan, 5-4, in the Redondo Tournament Saturday at Torrance Park.
