PREP ROUNDUP : Veronda Leads Way on Mound and at Bat for Sunny Hills

Brian Veronda did all he could to get Sunny Hills High School’s baseball season off to a flying start Friday night.

Veronda, a senior right-hander, struck out five, gave up six hits and had four singles in Sunny Hills’ 3-2 victory over El Toro in a first-round game of the Loara baseball tournament at Boysen Park.

“Brian’s a real competitor,” Sunny Hills Coach Doug Elliott said. “He stays around the plate and mixes up his pitches well. He keeps you in the game.”

Veronda’s line single to center field in the fourth inning drove in Mike Sullivan to give Sunny Hills the winning margin.

Veronda also pitched his way out of a few jams.

El Toro had runners on second and third with two outs in the first, but Veronda got El Toro’s Darren Sharp to watch a slow curve for strike three.

Veronda struck out El Toro shortstop Chris Sauritch to escape a bases-loaded situation in the fourth.

Sunny Hills third baseman Tony Martinez handled five tough chances, including a nasty short hop off the chest to open the seventh. And second baseman Brett Ransom turned a head’s-up unassisted double play to help Veronda out of trouble in the sixth.

El Toro scored in the second on successive singles by Rob Johnson and Chad Hoelker, a sacrifice fly by Sal Schachter and a wild pitch by Veronda.

Sunny Hills scored in the second on Jason Simard’s single. Sunny Hills’ Rick Orr drove in Jason Sugarman in the third with a double.