PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP : West Coach’s Dilemma: Pick a No. 1 Starting Pitcher

Phil Bendik has given West Torrance High School baseball Coach Chris Wibberly a pleasant dilemma--how to decide on a No. 1 starting pitcher.

And after Bendik, who missed most of the season with arm strain, tossed a gutty five-hitter Thursday in West’s 2-1 victory over North Torrance, Wibberly was left wavering more than ever.

“That’s the second time Phil has picked up the ball and thrown, and it’s his second good outing,” Wibberly said. “So now I have two No. 1’s--a No. 1 left-hander in Ted Holloway and a No. 1 right-hander in Phil.”

Bendik not only blunted North’s bats Thursday, he also helped give the Warriors a share of first place in the Bay League. Both West and North are 8-3 in league, but North holds the edge on the top spot. The Saxons have won two of the teams’ three meetings.

Thursday’s verdict came down in the bottom of the seventh, when West third baseman Mike Berry chopped a one-out single off hard-throwing Saxon ace Greg Davis (8-4) to score Steve Allyn from second base.

Allyn sparked West’s rally with a ground single through the right side on an 0-2 pitch, then stole second on the next pitch. Berry then hit a kangaroo bouncer that tipped off the glove of leaping first baseman Brian Wixom, but before second baseman Brian Marzorini could corral the ball in short right field, Allyn had scored the winning run.

North could have scored a go-ahead run in its half of the seventh, but Bendik snuffed that rally. Davis led off that inning with a line single into center that nearly parted Bendik’s hair. David Bewley sacrificed Davis to second, but Bendik struck out Marzorini with a sharp-breaking slow curve. Then Johnny Clem ripped a smash up the middle, but Bendik snared the would-be RBI to end the threat.

North loaded the bases against Bendik in the third, but Warrior catcher Denny Hocking shot down Clem at third base when he strayed too far from the bag on a ball that got away to the backstop. Bendik got the next two hitters and the Saxons were empty-handed.

North (13-8) got its only run on a triple by Davis and an RBI ground ball by Bewley in the fourth. West (13-5) got its first run in the first on a pair of singles by Allyn and David Thorpe off Saxon starter Rory Natividad.

Bendik (2-0) joins West’s pitching staff just in time to help the drive for the league title and the playoffs. He hurt his arm by trying to throw too hard when he came out after the basketball season, during which he was a high-scoring shooting guard for West’s team.

But on his first outing this season, last week, Bendik threw a four-hitter against Rolling Hills. Wibberly said he would determine whether Bendik or Holloway would start in the playoffs depending on how many right- or left-handed hitters were in the opposing lineup.

Rolling Hills 15, Torrance 10--Sophomore Mark Lewis drove in five runs, including two on a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning to break a 10-10 tie and send the Titans to a Bay League win at Torrance Park.

Rolling Hills improved to 5-6 in league play, one game behind Palos Verdes and South Torrance, which are tied for third. Torrance fell deeper into the cellar at 1-10.

Rolling Hills broke the game open with four runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. John Pitz and Craig Plumley each had two-run homers and three RBI. Pitz and Lewis each had three hits.

Palos Verdes 12, South Torrance 5--Mike Paolucci drove in four runs on two bases-loaded singles and Todd Clark hit a two-run homer to lead the Sea Kings to a Bay League win at home.

Clark’s homer and a two-run single by Paolucci highlighted a seven-run fourth inning for Palos Verdes (6-5, 9-11). Left-hander Ian McDonald got the win to improve to 4-2.

South slipped to 6-5 and 10-10-1.

Gardena defeats Locke--The Mohicans (5-5, 6-9) broke a five-game losing streak in the Marine League when Locke was forced to forfeit because it could not field enough players.