Injured Leuzinger Ace Will Try to Pitch

Leuzinger pitcher Tyrone Scott, considered one of the South Bay’s top major league baseball prospects and the key to the Olympians’ hopes for a Bay League title, has a sore arm.

Coach Derrel Thomas said Scott’s injury, which he described as “tenderness of the elbow,” may prevent the left-hander from pitching indefinitely. Scott has not pitched since April 11 when he first complained of soreness in a poor outing against Beverly Hills.

Scott missed his scheduled start Tuesday in Leuzinger’s 6-3 Bay League loss to Palos Verdes but will try to pitch in today’s rematch with the Sea Kings at Palos Verdes.

“He’s going to warm up,” Thomas said. “If his elbow is still tender, I won’t let him pitch. Then we’ll take it from there. If it’s that bad, he has to go to the doctor and get it checked out.

“Tyrone wants to play major league baseball someday, and I feel he has a chance to do that. I don’t want anything to happen that could endanger his future.”

The erratic Scott, who has continued to play center field and bat third, is 4-2 with a 1.59 ERA and leads the South Bay with 72 strikeouts and 54 walks in 44 innings.

Leuzinger was regarded as a contender for the Bay League title before the season but is struggling in a fifth-place tie at 3-4.

Morningside forward Eddie Scott, whose cousin Byron played basketball at Arizona State before finding fame and fortune with the Lakers, also will play collegiately in the Grand Canyon state.

The 6-7 Scott signed a letter of intent with Northern Arizona on Tuesday, the day before his 19th birthday.

“Most people want to go to a big-name college with big-time players, but they don’t get any playing time,” Scott said. “Northern Arizona is giving me a chance to come in and start.”

Although it is considered a small college in basketball circles, Northern Arizona competes on the Division I level. The school’s recruiting efforts in the South Bay also netted Harbor College guard Keith Billingslea.

Scott needs to score 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test to be eligible as a freshman, but he said Northern Arizona will accept him even if he has to sit out next year. He has two more chances to take the SAT.

Scott averaged a team-high 14.7 points a game and led Morningside (25-6) to the Ocean League championship, the semifinals of Southern Section 3-A playoffs and the finals of the Southern California Division III regionals. He was named Ocean League MVP.

Cal State Dominguez Hills made it two-for-two in recruiting Carson High’s top basketball players by signing 6-5 forward Vincent Washington to a letter of intent.

Last week the Toros landed Carson guard Ray Bennett. Washington and Bennett were members of The Times South Bay All-Star Team.

“We are very excited about each of our signees,” said Dominguez Hills Coach Dave Yanai, who also signed 6-7 center Cesar Uballe of Bell and 6-5 forward Norm Francis of Fairfax. “They are well-rounded players who will contribute immediately while making an impact in our program over the next four years.”

Washington averaged 17 points and 8.3 rebounds to help Carson win the Pacific League title and reach the semifinals of the L.A. City 4-A playoffs. He was named the Pacific League MVP.

Mira Costa took a commanding two-game lead in the Ocean League volleyball race Tuesday with a 15-5, 15-8, 15-4 victory over visiting North Torrance.

The Mustangs, ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 4-A Division, improved to 11-0 overall and 9-0 in league behind the play of middle blocker Pat Ivie. Second-place North fell to 7-2 in the league.

Mira Costa will venture north for a pair of non-league matches against 10th-ranked Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos on Friday and Saturday nights.

Coach Mike Cook’s Mustangs are gearing up for the competitive Redondo Tournament on April 29. The 25-team field includes Corona del Mar, ranked fourth in 4-A; University of Irvine, ranked sixth; Palisades, defending L.A. City 4-A champion, and three of the top-ranked teams in the Southern Section 3-A Division: Harvard of North Hollywood, Arcadia and Long Beach Wilson.

North Torrance and West Torrance will play an alumni football game, the schools’ third in the last five years, at 7 p.m. May 20 at North.

North alumni interested in playing are asked to meet April 27 at the school football stadium or call the school at 533-4416. The team will be coached by Kelsey Baughfman, a former North player and an assistant coach for the Saxons.

North has won the last two meetings with West.

PREP NOTES--Bishop Montgomery junior Kelly Wood was chosen to the All-Southern Section 3-A Division girls soccer team by a panel of coaches. Wood was also selected team MVP on an otherwise all-senior Bishop Montgomery squad. . . . Zan Mason of Westchester, Harold Miner of Inglewood and Ed Stokes of St. Bernard are on a Southern California prep all-star team that will play the Soviet Union’s junior national basketball team May 14 at UC Irvine’s Bren Center. . . . Many of the Southland’s top track athletes will compete in the 31st annual Mt. Sac Relays on Friday and Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Most of the high school invitational events will be Saturday. . . . Rolling Hills took a two-game lead in the Bay League baseball race Tuesday with an 8-3 win over visiting Hawthorne. The Titans improved to 10-6 overall and 6-1 in league play. Hawthorne (9-8, 4-3) took a 2-0 lead into the third inning but pitcher Steven Keith (6-0) had to leave the game with a pulled back muscle. The teams meet again at 3 p.m. today at Hawthorne. . . . Miraleste’s baseball team suffered its first Santa Fe League loss Tuesday at Cantwell, 7-2, to fall to 4-1 in the league and 11-6 overall. The Marauders will meet first-place Mary Star (12-5, 4-0) at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Fromhold Field in San Pedro.

South Bay’s Baseball Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters Through Tuesday’s Games

Rank, School, League: Record

1 El Segundo (Camino Real): 13-4

2 St. Bernard (Camino Real): 11-4

3 Mary Star (Santa Fe): 12-5

4 Rolling Hills (Bay): 10-6

5 Banning (Pacific): 10-6

6 Bishop Mont. (Angelus): 11-5-1

7 Palos Verdes (Bay): 11-6

8 Leuzinger (Bay): 12-7-1

9 Hawthorne (Bay): 9-8

10 Miraleste (Santa Fe): 11-6