Culver City High School got good pitching and defense, but was unable to execute offensively, according to head coach Rick Prieto in recent losses to non-league opponents.
St. John Bosco defeated the Centaurs, 4-1, last Wednesday, as Culver left seven runners in scoring position.
Capistrano Valley Christian from San Juan Capistrano the prior Saturday swept Culver in two one-run games, 1-0 and 4-3.
Culver (9-6 overall and 2-0 in the Ocean League) hosts an always-tough West Torrance squad Saturday at 11 a.m. before resuming league on Tuesday at Hawthorne.
The big fish in the little pond played the big fish in the big pond yesterday (Wed.) when the CIF ranked Centaurs played a double header against nationally ranked Harvard Westlake.
In the setback to St. John Bosco, the Centaurs’ only run came in the first inning when senior Tyler Mark doubled to score freshman Jay Sterner, who had singled with two outs. Sophomore Daniel Hennessy went 3 for 4.
Nathaniel Matthews took the loss. Erik Lorrin pitched two scoreless innings.
In the match-up between two CIF-Southern Section ranked teams Capistrano Valley Christian defeated the Centaurs 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader, as Culver batters struck out eight times. Brian Ibarra allowed one run in four innings, and Jacob Elliott allowed no runs in three innings for the Centaurs. Hennessy went 2 for 2, and George Aceves went 2 for 3 for the team’s only hits.
The Eagles pushed over a run on a Lorrin balk in the top of the ninth inning for a 4-3 extra inning win.
Capistrano rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the fifth inning. Good defense kept both teams from scoring in the sixth and seventh frames.
Sterner allowed 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 walk; with 4 strike outs in 4 2/3 innings before leaving the game with a no decision.
Darian Sylvester went 2 for 5, and Adrian Perez, Mark, Daniel Hennessy, Jon Kocker, Pablo Saucedo and Brian Ibarra each got a hit.
Culver City won an eight-inning 3-2 victory over Torrance in recent non-league play at Culver City.
The Centaur varsity baseball team won the game in the bottom of the eighth when, after two out, Sylvester and Sterner each singled. Hennessey, then singled home Sylvester for the winning run.
“We had some good timely hitting,” Culver head coach Rick Prieto said. “This was a great win. Torrance is built on tradition. We came prepared.”
After the Tartars scored first in the top of the first inning off Centaur starting pitcher Mark, Culver came back with two runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double from Sterner, who went 2-for-4.
After a strong opening to the season, the Centaurs have sputtered due to a strong non-league schedule that will prepare Culver City for the playoffs, according to Prieto.
Culver opened the season with four straight victories in the Southern California Invitational Baseball Tournament, defeating Venice, 10-3, Roosevelt, 7-0, Taft, 6-5, and Hueneme, 8-0. The Centaurs lost to Buena High School, 4-3, in the championship game. During the five games played in eight days, the Centaurs played good defense, got timely hitting, and outstanding pitching, said Prieto. Mark and Sterner each recorded two wins. Ibarra had two good starts, logging eight innings of work.
