Southern Section Baseball : SMALL SCHOOLS

Crossroads 18

Woodcrest Christian 2

There was little doubt that Santa Monica Crossroads was going to win Saturday at Blair Field in the Small Schools championship against Riverside Woodcrest Christian.

It was only a question of how many runs the Roadrunners would score.

The answer was 18 as Crossroads batted around in three straight innings to rout Woodcrest Christian, 18-2, and win its first Small Schools title. Crossroads lost in last year’s title game to Newport Christian, 8-7.

“We’re capable of blowing people out,” Crossroads Coach Chuck Ice said, understating the obvious. Crossroads won its playoff games by scores of 20-1, 35-2, 15-4 and 20-3.

Saturday, though, the Roadrunners toyed with Woodcrest, allowing a glimmer of hope.

Woodcrest trailed only 2-0 entering the fourth inning, but Crossroads exploded for seven runs. And not satisfied with that, the Roadrunners added more four runs in the fifth and five in the sixth.

Crossroads pitchers Steve Furchner and Noah Rosen combined to limit Woodcrest to two hits.

Meanwhile, every player in the Crossroads starting lineup except leadoff man Doug Pitkin drove in a run. Pitkin did his job, though, scoring three runs. Catcher Matt Sklamberg drove in four runs, while winning pitcher Furchner added three RBIs.