Warmer weather this week has coincided with the warmth the Culver City High School baseball team feels returning to Ocean League action as it welcomes Hawthorne, today and Inglewood on Tuesday. Both games start at 3:15 p.m. The Centaurs played at Hawthorne this past Tuesday.
The Centaur offense (9-7 overall and 2-0 in league) has sputtered in recent games against strong non-league opponents St. John Bosco, Capistrano Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano) and West Torrance.
And, Culver High was blanked, 3-0, at USC’s Dedeaux Field by one of Southern California’s top prospect pitchers last Wednesday against Harvard-Westlake from North Hollywood.
Projected first-round draft pick Max Fried of the Wolverines pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out 14 batters in the Centaur loss.
Culver, which fell to 9-7 overall, had a chance to score when Darian Sylvester led off the top of the third inning with a walk and went to second base on a passed ball. After Jay Sterner struck out, Juan Alcala hit an infield single, advancing Sylvester to third base with two outs. Tyler Mack, however, ended the threat by striking out.
The Wolverines scored one run each in the bottom of the first, fourth and sixth innings.
In the first, pitcher Tyler Mark walked the first batter, who stole second base. He went to third on a grounder to second and scored on a ground out to third basemen Daniel Hennessy.
Harvard-Westlake scored again on a single, stolen base and a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, Fried tripled and scored on a single.
Mark pitched four innings, allowing two runs on two hits and struck out three batters.
“He was outstanding,” said head coach Rick Prieto of Mark.
Jacob Elliott pitched a scoreless fifth inning, and Brian Ibarra allowed a run on two hits in his two innings.
Culver’s defense, behind a pair of outstanding plays by Adrian Perez, played well, according to Prieto.
“Adrian made two ESPN plays-of-the-day at second base,” said Prieto.
The Centaur hits were all singles by Sylvester, Alcala and Skyler Blocker.
“Our players are playing good defense and we’re getting solid pitching, but we’ve played some very good teams recently,” said Prieto.
