By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
Before the John Glenn High baseball team can get to a first place home and home showdown with La Mirada High, the Eagles must take care of business against the teams it should be able to beat. That means Artesia High and the Eagles showed why they are a contender for the league title.
The Eagles blasted the Pioneers 14-0 this past Wednesday to improve to 10-4 overall and 3-0 in league action. All but one starter had at least one hit for Glenn, which scored in every inning except the third.
In the top of the first with two outs, sophomore center fielder Damone Hale doubled in a pair of runs. In the next inning, again with two outs, sophomore catcher Alexis Martinez scored when he singled, went to second on a sacrifice, moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on an error.
With the score 5-0 entering the fifth, the Eagles put the game away by sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring five runs on five hits and two walks. Glenn would finish the game with a pair of runs in each of the final two innings. Junior second baseman Alex Alcaraz, junior first baseman Raphael DeAvila and Martinez all had two hits while sophomore shortstop Joseph Figueroa drove in three runs. Junior Humberto Chiquito went the distance and struck out 12 batters while yielding three hits. He retired the final 10 batters of the game. The Eagles will host Artesia today before next week’s all important series with La Mirada.
Artesia dropped to 1-11, 0-5 and was hurt with seven errors. The Pioneers will face St. Pius-St. Matthias Academy on Saturday in a St. Paul Easter Tournament game. Artesia returns to league play with a home game against Norwalk High on Tuesday.
In other baseball action, Cerritos High lost its third straight game, a 4-0 affair to Mayfair High, this past Wednesday. The Dons are 10-8 but have not scored in the past two games. They will host Mayfair today, and then a doubleheader against Garden Grove High on Tuesday.
Gahr High is getting its winning ways back and following a 7-0 win against Lynwood High in the San Gabriel Valley League opener, the Gladiators have won three in a row to improve to 5-8 overall. The two teams will meet again at Lynwood today before the Gladiators travel to Warren High on Tuesday and host the Bears on Thursday.
Norwalk lost for the fifth straight time, a 7-1 affair to Bellflower, this past Wednesday to fall to 5-6 overall an 0-5 in the Suburban League. Norwalk and Bellflower will meet again today at Bellflower.
Whitney High doubled up Brethren Christian High 4-2 this past Tuesday to improve to 7-4 overall and 1-4 in the Academy League. The Wildcats are enjoying the best season since 1998 when they went 1998. Whitney did not field a team last season and had compiled nine wins from 2011-2015. Whitney will visit Brethren Christian today before playing a home and home series with Crean Lutheran High on Tuesday and Thursday respectively with the first game on the road.
SOFTBALL
Artesia, which is at the front end of five straight road games, fell to Cerritos 8-0 this past Tuesday to see its record drop to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the Suburban League. The Pioneers visited Mayfair on Apr. 6 and will face Norwalk and La Mirada on the road next Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
The winning streak, hot-hitting and dominant pitching continues for Gahr as the Lady Gladiators improved to 14-0 after a 16-0 win against Lynwood High this past Tuesday in the San Gabriel Valley League opener. Gahr also defeated St. Joseph High 14-0 and Summit High 12-0 last Saturday in the La Mirada Tournament and have not been scored upon in the last 17 innings. The Lady Gladiators faced Warren on Apr. 6 in a first-place battle. Gahr will then play two more games in the La Mirada Tournament on Saturday, host Paramount High on Tuesday and travel to Downey High on Thursday.
Glenn (6-7, 1-4) lost to La Mirada 13-2 this past Tuesday and visited Santa Fe High on Apr. 6. The Lady Eagles will host a doubleheader against Sultana High on Saturday, host Cerritos on Tuesday and visit Bellflower on Thursday.
The struggles continue for Norwalk, the defending Suburban League champions of last season. The Lady Lancers were shutout by Whittier High 9-0 to fall to 4-12. Norwalk, which is 1-3 in league play, returned to Suburban League action on Apr. 6 with the first of three straight home games.
Valley Christian High (5-10-1 overall) lost for the fifth straight game after being blanked by Maranatha High 5-0 this past Tuesday. The Lady Crusaders are winless in three Olympic League games and have been outscored 45-10 during the slide. V.C. entertained Heritage Christian High on Apr. 6 and will have the next 11 days off.
Whitney lost to Calvary Chapel Downey High 12-0 this past Tuesday and will take a 6-9 overall record and 0-2 in league play into its home game with Brethren Christian High today. The Lady Wildcats will also host Crean Lutheran on Tuesday before taking the next two weeks off.