Surprising University City Clubs Kearny, 16-4

The University City High School baseball team is experiencing new heights this spring. The Centurions, in their fourth year of existence, this week took sole possession of first place in the Western League for the first time.

University City (3-0, 9-8) moved into first Wednesday after knocking off second-ranked Mission Bay, 3-1, behind Jamie Lynn’s complete-game effort. And the Centurions remained on top Friday by clubbing Kearny, 16-4.

Eric Bridge and Darrell Woodard led UC’s 20-hit attack at Kearny. Bridge pitched the first six innings, allowing three hits and one earned run, and went 5 for 5 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs.

Woodard, who plays center field and bats in the leadoff position, was 4 for 4, scored five runs and stole two bases.

“This feels great,” said Bridge, a senior right-hander with a 5-1 record. “We’re so confident. I have no doubt we’ll be in contention. Nobody realizes it yet, but that’s fine with us.”

In its first three years, UC has never finished higher than third place. Last season, the Centurions went 3-7 in league play and 6-15 overall.

“I think what happened is the players found out they could win when they went 10-6 last summer (in American Legion ball),” University City Coach Allan LaMotte said. “We knew we had good pitching--we have a senior-dominated staff--but the thing that worried me was our hitting. But we’ve hit the ball well.”

That was an understatement, as far as Friday’s game with Kearny (1-2, 8-6) was concerned. The Komets led briefly at 3-2 after one inning, and the score was tied, 4-4, going into the fifth.

Then the roof caved in on Komet starter Jeff Moody and his relief help, David Portugal. Keyed by run-scoring triples by Aaron Root and Mike Swafford, the Centurions scored four times in the fifth.

Portugal, who pitched a complete game Wednesday, came on in the sixth. The Centurions greeted him with seven runs on seven hits. Ron Marr’s bases-loaded single, which drove in Swafford and Bridge, paced the outburst.