Advertisement

High School Baseball : Notre Dame Advances on Ratliff’s Blast

Share

Senior shortstop Chad Ratliff lined a two-run home run with two out in the top of the eighth inning to lead Notre Dame High past North Torrance, 8-4, in a championship semifinal game of the Redondo-Palos Verdes tournament Saturday at North Torrance.

Ratliff’s first home run of the season broke a 4-4 tie and sparked what would become a four-run rally.

Ratliff, who led the team in hitting last season with a .442 average but has fallen to .260 this year, may be getting back on track.

Advertisement

“It’s real nice to see him back in the groove,” Notre Dame Coach Bob Mandeville said. “We can use his stick.”

Notre Dame (17-3) will play for the title Saturday at 7 p.m. at Redondo High against Lakewood, a 1-0 winner over Palos Verdes.

Sophomore right-hander Steve Colella (5-3), who relieved starter Cary Wichmann in the sixth, pitched three innings of scoreless relief, striking out four and walking none.

“That was one of Colella’s best outings in a long time,” Mandeville said.

Senior catcher Bobby Hughes was three for three with two doubles, Chris Lohman was three for five and Kevin Milligan was two for three with two runs batted in for Notre Dame, which had 15 hits and stranded 13 runners.

In other Redondo-Palos Verdes tournament games:

Westchester 7, Royal 6-- Host Westchester (8-11) used a four-run third inning and a controversial call in the fifth to win the consolation game.

Trailing, 7-5, in the fifth inning, Royal (9-14) was in the midst of a rally when Will Egan’s run was disallowed because he removed his helmet while running from third to home. The Highlanders gave up three of Westchester’s four third-inning runs on two errors.

Advertisement

Royal’s Jason Jones was four for four with two home runs a triple and four RBIs.

Richard Naranjo was two for four with an RBI and Sean Mitchell was two for four with a run scored for the Highlanders.

Culver City 7, Alemany 3--Alemany had 11 hits, but stranded 10 runners in a fourth-round consolation bracket game at Alemany.

Jon Beauchemin was three for four and Joey Rosselli was two for four with a home run for Alemany (13-10). John Lite pitched three scoreless innings of relief for Alemany, allowing only two hits.

Crespi 11, Leuzinger 10--Crespi scored five runs on four hits and two errors in the fourth inning and weathered the Olympians’ three-run seventh in a consolation semifinal game at Valley College.

Catcher John Dempsey ended Leuzinger’s late rally by picking off a runner at first base.

Dempsey and Chris Romero each had two hits and two RBIs.

Chad Nichols (2-3) got the win for the Celts (8-11-2), who used four pitchers and three catchers.

Thousand Oaks 19, West Torrance 5--Lance Martin had a three-run home run in the fifth and knocked in five runs to lead the Lancers in a consolation bracket game at West Torrance.

Advertisement

Brent Christenson hit a three-run home run in the sixth for Thousand Oaks (10-7), which used six pitchers who combined to throw a four-hitter.

Scott Haffner was four for five with three RBIs for Thousand Oaks, which jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first and led, 17-3, after six.

HERITAGE LEAGUE

Ribet Academy 12, L. A. Lutheran 7--Ribet Academy scored 10 unearned runs at L. A. Lutheran. Jim Brown had three hits and Travis Canel and Don Phillips each had two for L.A. Lutheran.

Advertisement