HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS : Gerber, Laker and Sharts Stay Hot in Florida

Greg Gerber broke a school record for consecutive hits, Tim Laker extended his hitting streak to 15 games and Scott Sharts pitched a shutout as Simi Valley beat Coconut Creek (Fla.), 4-0, Wednesday in the second round of the Colonial tournament in Orlando, Fla.

Simi Valley (14-1), the defending tournament champion and the Times’ top-ranked team in the Valley, has won 13 straight. The Pioneers will play the winner of Wednesday’s game between West Orange (Fla.) and Colonial (Fla.) in a semifinal game at 4 PDT this afternoon.

Gerber, a junior shortstop, broke the record for consecutive hits (8) before he grounded out to third in the sixth inning. Gerber was 7 for 7 going into the game, having collected four hits against Royal on Friday and three more Monday against Oak Ridge in the first round of the tournament. He tied the record in the first inning Wednesday with a single to left that drove in Darren Aurand who had walked, moved to second on a single by Laker, and stolen third.

With Simi Valley leading, 1-0, in the fourth, Gerber, who is batting .500, broke the record when he singled to center. The ball rolled between the legs of center fielder Keith Phillips, scoring Sharts, who had walked to open the inning. Gerber went to third on the play and scored on Don Giannone’s sacrifice fly.

The Pioneers scored their final run in the fifth when Laker singled to right, scoring Marcus Lockwood, who had singled to lead off the inning. It was Laker’s 19th RBI.

Sharts (7-1) scattered six hits and struck out five.

Sophomore right-hander Rich Langford (2-0) will start this afternoon’s game for Simi Valley.

BASEBALL

Eric Martinez hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to give Canyon a 7-6 victory over Channel Islands and the consolation championship of the Thousand Oaks tournament. Canyon’s Travis Regnolds hit a two-run double and teammate Ernie Figueroa had two singles and threw out the potential winning run at home plate in the bottom of the seventh. . . . Santa Paula used six consecutive singles in the fourth inning to defeat Camarillo, 6-2, and take fifth place at the Thousand Oaks tournament.

Six batters had two hits each as Newbury Park defeated Hoover, 11-1, in the consolation final of the Babe Herman tournament in Glendale. Wally Thornhill, David Angulo, Doug Rich, Tim Bohling, Mike Stein and Chris Fick each had two hits for Newbury Park (8-10-1).

Wayne Schull tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Burbank past Ontario, 4-0, in the third-place game at the Gladstone tournament in Azusa. Schull (4-0) struck out five and walked one. Steve Woody doubled, singled and drove in a run for Burbank (12-4).

SOFTBALL

Tracy Benn’s fifth-inning double drove in Trina Koenig with the winning run in Notre Dame’s 1-0 San Fernando Valley League win over Bell-Jeff. Freshman Becca Berline went the distance for Notre Dame (4-0 in league), striking out five and walking two.

BOYS SWIMMING

Chappie DeHaven and Brian Stevens each won three events to lead Crespi (4-1 in league) to a 113-52 Del Rey League victory over Alemany (0-5 in league). DeHaven won the 200-yard individual medley (2:05.82), 100 backstroke (1:02.24) and was on the winning medley relay team (1:50.04). Stevens placed first in the 200 freestyle (1:52.73), 100 free (51.03) and was on the medley relay team.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Louisville (3-0 in league) relied on triple winners Karen Buck and Heather Cross for a 106-50 San Fernando Valley League victory over Alemany. Buck placed first in the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.24), 500 free (5:30.79) and was on the winning 400 free relay team (3:59.45). Cross won the 100 butterfly (1:05.35), 100 breaststroke (1:17.57) and was on the winning medley relay team (2:08.27). Jenny Beubis led Alemany (0-3 in league) with first-place finishes in the 50 free (24.31) and the 100 backstroke (1:05.92).

GIRLS TRACK

Lisa Gill won two events and Alemany defeated Louisville, 74-44, in a San Fernando Valley League meet at Crespi. Gill won the long jump (15-2) and triple jump (34-7 1/2) and placed second in the 100 meters (12.7) as Alemany handed Louisville (4-1) its first loss of the season. Tammy Allington won the high jump (5-4) and Nikki Davis won the shotput (35-1) for Alemany (5-1, 4-1 in league).