Alec Lowi delivers a pitch for Palos Verdes in its win over South Torrance.
The Palos Verdes High baseball team seemingly had everything it needed last season, except enough offense. The Sea Kings were shut out six times, and averaged 3.4 runs per game.
But help could be on the way.
Palos Verdes pounded out 13 hits and defeated South Torrance 9-3 in a South Bay Summer Baseball League game on Tuesday at South High.
Palos Verdes, which moved to 5-2-1 this summer, is getting it done on offense with new additions Adam Fogel, Tyler Rosen and Dirk Durko, and players who had a limited role on the varsity squad last year and are looking to move into the starting lineup next season, like Blake Matsuda, Kyle Fujisaki, Connor Buckle and Mitchell Templin.
Fogel, a lanky, right-handed-swinging first baseman who also plays for the Palos Verdes basketball team, delivered a two-run home run to left field against South, which gave Palos Verdes a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Rosen went 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
"Fogel is exciting to watch," Palos Verdes coach Evan Fujinaga said. "He hasn't had a bad day this summer. Rosen has been consistent. Those two can swing the bat in a way we didn't have last season."
Palos Verdes averaged 5.8 hits per game last season, when it went 14-14, finished fifth in the Bay League and was one league win away from a playoff
berth.This summer has been another story.
"We've been getting eight or more hits every game, which is a lot different than what we had last year," Fujinaga said.
Matsuda went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, Durko went 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored and Fujisaki had two hits for the Sea Kings, who provided pitcher Alec Lowi with more than he needed to get the win.
Lowi went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with no strikeouts.
Fujinaga said Lowi is showing improved velocity from last season. He'll likely go into next season as the team's ace.
"He's showing flashes of improved arm strength, but has to have more command," Fujinaga said. "During the summer I've seen physical progression, and it's good to see that coming from your junior year to your senior year."
South also has had an encouraging summer. The Spartans (5-1-2) went into the game unbeaten. Despite the loss, South coach Grady Sain likes what he is seeing from his ballclub.
"We've been pitching well, playing good defense and getting timely hits," Sain said. "Most games have been close. But today got a little sideways. PV was really swinging the bats, and put us in tough situations."
Palos Verdes had five consecutive hits during a four-run third inning off South starter Nick Beardsley.
But Beardsley, vying for South's No. 2 starter spot next season behind ace Matt Mogollon, survived the inning and pitched a scoreless fourth inning before calling it a day.
"He's been pitching quite a bit lately, and I think he got a little tired," Sain said of Beardsley. "But what I liked is that after the tough third inning, he went out in the fourth and threw quality pitches for a 1-2-3 inning. It was a good comeback inning for him mentally."
Palos Verdes also had a four-run sixth inning, sparked by Matsuda's RBI single and Rosen's RBI double, which one-hopped the center-field fence.
South took a short-lived 1-0 lead in the second inning when Sam Camacho and Matt Mavrosakis both singled and David Ramirez delivered an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Spartans scored a run in the third inning when Kyle Henmi had a leadoff double and scored on a first-and-third play.
Jackson Smith pitched the last two innings for Palos Verdes, allowing one run on two hits and a walk.
Camacho hurled a scoreless seventh for South, which finished in a three-way tie for the Pioneer League title last season.
dantoni leah remini black and tan dwight howard trade ncaa bracket 2012 kyle orton kyle orton
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.