Advertisement

Fitzgerald Double Lifts Redondo to Tourney Victory Over Miraleste

Share
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Designated hitter Brian Fitzgerald’s double with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning brought pinch-runner Shawn Mulligan home from first base with the winning run Saturday as host Redondo Union High School beat Miraleste, 4-3, in the first round of the Palos Verdes/Redondo Tournament.

Artie Scorpino (1-1) pitched a complete game to help the Sea Hawks improve their record to 5-3. He also went two for three at the plate.

The Marauders (4-3) scored two runs on a two-out rally in the first inning, one on an RBI single by second baseman Paul Lemire. In the fifth, two singles and a Lemire sacrifice bunt set up center fielder Sean Miller’s run-scoring single that made it 3-0.

Advertisement

After being held scoreless for five innings by Miraleste starter Jason Mavor (3-1), Redondo began its comeback with Scorpino’s leadoff double in the fifth.

Two outs later, first baseman Scott Denhart’s opposite-field single to to left provided the Sea Hawks’ first run. After going to second base on a throw home, Denhart scored on catcher Larry Rodriguez’ double to right field.

In the sixth, an error, a stolen base and a ground out set up a sacrifice fly by second baseman Frank Bigrami that tied the game at 3-3. Scorpino followed with a single. Mulligan replaced him on first, and then Fitzgerald hit his key double.

Denhart said the Sea Hawks were always confident despite being shackled by Mavor in the early going. “We’ve faced better (pitching) than that, so we shouldn’t have struggled as much as we did against him,” he said. “We can come back really well. We know we’re good at that.”

Scorpino, who gave up eight hits, three walks and two earned runs, pitched out of trouble for much of the game. The Marauders left eight runners on base, including six in the first three innings.

“You can’t expect to win when you waste opportunities like that,” Miraleste Coach Ken Russell said.

Advertisement

Mavor gave up seven hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out four in a complete-game loss. But five of the hits came over the last two innings.

“I think he did get tired,” Russell said. “But we’re pitching short(handed) right now with the way our schedule has worked out, and I felt like I had to stay with him.”

Palos Verdes 9, Narbonne 5: Catcher Blake Anderson drove in four runs with two home runs to lead the Sea Kings (4-3) to a come-from-behind win.

Jason Goldberg also had a homer for Palos Verdes, which got six innings of effective relief pitching from Tryon Liesey (1-0).

“He’s only a sophomore and did a great job, especially with his curve,” Anderson said of Liesey, who scattered five hits while giving up two unearned runs.

“I was expecting (starter Pat) O’Hara to go a little longer,” Palos Verdes Coach Gil Eberhardt said, “so I wasn’t planning on (Liesey) going so long, but he came through.”

Advertisement

Starter Todd Utz (0-2) took the loss for the Gauchos, who led, 3-1, going to the bottom of the third inning. A six-run fourth, including a three-run homer by Anderson and a two-run double by Steve Hoye, put the Sea Kings ahead, 8-3.

Narbonne thought it had a two-run homer on Richard Fordiani’s deep fly down the right-field line in the top of the sixth, but the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double.

They said the ball cleared a short concrete wall but not the taller chain-link fence behind it. In that part of the park, a batted ball must clear the taller fence to be ruled a home run, Redondo Coach Tim Ammentorp said.

After the game, fans in right field said the ball did clear the chain-link fence.

Advertisement