Prep Wrap--Up : Injury Throws a Curve in Bay League Race

How much of an impact will the loss of one player have on the Bay League baseball race?

When the player happens to be North Torrance shortstop-pitcher Anthony Anetema, it could be profound.

Anetema suffered a dislocated left elbow in the first inning of the Saxons’ 10-4 win over Rolling Hills in a league opener on Thursday. North Coach Mike Neily said Anetema will have his arm placed in a cast next week and will be out from four to six weeks.

“This injury helps level things out a little bit,” said Neily, whose team was the preseason league favorite. “Obviously the league race is going to be tight. Anybody looks like they can come up and win it.”

Anetema’s absence hurts North in several areas. The versatile senior was a defensive mainstay at shortstop, he batted third in the lineup and he was the team’s stopper as a relief pitcher.

Without him, winning the Bay title figures to be a lot tougher for North. The Saxons (1-0 in league) play host to Palos Verdes (1-0) on Tuesday and visit West Torrance (1-0) on Thursday in 3 p.m. games.

Neily feels bad for his team but especially for Anetema.

“He’s pretty depressed,” Neily said. “He was looking forward to having a big year. He has a future in baseball. It’s unfortunate that more people won’t get to see him play this year, because he was ready.”

Anetema, an all-league running back in football and a starting guard on the basketball team, was injured when Rolling Hills’ Shaun Carpenter slid into him for a stolen base at second. Anetema extended for the ball and was hit.

“The force knocked (the elbow) out,” Neily said. “It’s pretty hard to believe, because Anthony is a 190-pounder and real strong. I’ve never seen it happen before.”

Scott Howes will play shortstop until Anetema returns. Neily is confident in Howes’ defensive skills, but he says the 5-7 senior is not the hitter Anetema is. Howes’ older brother, Jeff, was an all-league second baseman for North.

Despite the loss of one of his best players, Neily hasn’t given up hope of winning a league title. The Saxons were champions in 1983 and 1985.

“I still think we’re a contender,” he said. “We’ve got some athletes. I think that our game with Rolling Hills proved we can win without Anthony.

“We’re pretty solid, but it would be nice to be more solid.”

Not much has changed in the Ocean League baseball race, judging from the results of Friday’s openers.

Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills--the top three finishers from last year--defeated the league’s three South Bay teams.

Beverly Hills routed Hawthorne, 17-4, Culver City pounded Inglewood, 14-2, and Santa Monica came up with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal a 5-4 victory from Mira Costa.

Beverly Hills’ Ryan Karp, the winning pitcher, had more hits (four for five) than the entire Hawthorne team (two).

West Torrance’s baseball team seems to have a knack of playing (and mostly winning) close games.

After losing their opener to Millikan, 5-4, the Warriors won five straight games by a total of six runs, including Thursday’s 2-1 win over South Torrance in a Bay League opener.

First place in the Marine League will be on the line on Wednesday when San Pedro (2-0) plays host to Banning (2-0) in a 3 p.m. baseball game.

Both teams took turns beating up on Locke this week. Banning hammered the Saints, 32-3, on Monday and San Pedro drubbed them, 20-4, on Wednesday.

San Pedro (7-0 overall) and Redondo (8-0) are the only unbeaten teams in the South Bay.

Serra’s baseball team fared well in its first week since the resignation of Coach Bob Flemming.

The Cavaliers were 3-2 in their own 32-team tournament, improving to 3-7 on the season. Under new Coach Darren Fleming, Serra will open Camino Real League play at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday at home against Murphy.

West Torrance got a jump in the Bay League softball race on Thursday as Juanita Olloque out-dueled Ginger Ales in a match-up of standout pitchers to help West defeat South Torrance, 3-1.

Olloque threw a three-hitter. Ales gave up five hits.

Torrance also received a big pitching effort in its league opener. Jamie Sibley gave up two hits and struck out nine in a 14-1 win over Palos Verdes.

Ken Russell appears to be making progress in his first season as baseball coach at Miraleste.

The Marauders, who were 2-19 last season, improved to 4-5 on Friday with a 14-2 win over Morningside in the Serra Tournament. It was their third straight victory.

Of course, Russell is no stranger to winning. His junior varsity teams at Palos Verdes were the perennial Bay League champions.