St. Anthony Upsets El Segundo, Area’s Top-Rated Team, 4-3 : Prep baseball: Palos Verdes defeats Torrance but loses star second baseman Chuck Okada to a knee injury.

El Segundo High School, the top-ranked baseball team in the Southern Section 2-A Division and the No. 1 team in The Times’ South Bay Baseball Top 10, was upset Thursday by St. Anthony, 4-3, in a Camino Real League game at Clark Field in Long Beach.

El Segundo (12-2 overall and 5-1 in league) dropped a game behind first-place St. Bernard with the loss. The two teams will meet tonight in a 7:30 game at Recreation Field in El Segundo.

The Eagles’ only other loss of the season was a 6-5 defeat to Alhambra in the first game of the season.

“It was a very well-played game and a very well-pitched game,” El Segundo Coach John Stevenson said. “It’s just one of those things. They won it, and we didn’t.”

St. Anthony left-hander Eric Mooney held hot-hitting El Segundo to only five hits, and contributed two of the five hits St. Anthony got off El Segundo pitchers Rob Croxall and Jason Wayt. Wayt took the loss and is now 4-1.

El Segundo shortstop Mark Lewis homered in the first inning, and the Eagles added another run in the second on an RBI single by Eric Stephenson.

The Eagles held a 2-1 lead until the bottom of the sixth, when St. Anthony rallied for three runs on three walks and three hits. St. Anthony’s Dan Williams delivered the go-ahead RBI.

In the top of the seventh, El Segundo scratched out a run on a fielder’s choice. But Mooney got Lewis to strike out with runners on second and third to end the game.

On almost any other day, nine runs would be enough for Torrance High School to win a ball game.

But on Thursday afternoon, visiting Palos Verdes hit the ball harder and farther, and held off a four-run, ninth-inning Torrance rally for a 12-9 victory at Torrance Park.

“We battled back and we didn’t give up,” Torrance Coach Jeff Phillips said. “But they hit the ball extremely well today. We just couldn’t hold them down.”

Palos Verdes (9-5 overall, 4-2 in the Bay League) moves into a three-way tie for second place in the league standings with Torrance (12-3, 4-2) and Rolling Hills, a game behind first-place Beverly Hills.

But it may have been a costly victory for the Sea Kings.

Palos Verdes second baseman Chuck Okada, the Sea Kings’ leadoff man, was lost for the season when he suffered ligament damage to his left knee when Torrance catcher Jason Kendall slid into him while breaking up a double play.

Okada has been Palos Verdes’ offensive catalyst all season, and he had three hits--including a pair of doubles--and scored three times before he was injured in the fifth inning. The three hits raised Okada’s batting average to a team-high .447.

But after Thursday’s game, Okada was on crutches with his leg in a soft cast. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. John O’Hara diagnosed the injury and will operate on the knee today.

“It’s unfortunate, but we just have to concentrate on winning games now,” Palos Verdes Coach Gil Eberhard said. “We just have to worry about our own ball game now and try to control our losses.”

Palos Verdes took control of Thursday’s game from the start, scoring in each of the first five innings and hammering Torrance left-hander Kris Radcliffe (2-3) for eight hits and seven runs in the first two.

Center fielder Doug Kay drove in four runs with a pair of doubles, and Tom Hein and Jason Goldberg added home runs for Palos Verdes.

But Torrance stormed back behind the hitting of shortstop Bryan Mullings, who homered and scored three times, and junior third baseman Antone Williamson, whose three hits raised his average to .569.

Right-hander Kevin Sharmin (4-0) picked up the win for the Sea Kings despite scattering 12 hits.

Torrance’s Ruben Montoya delivered a two-run double off Sharmin with two out in the ninth, and Rich Camou followed with an RBI triple, but lefty Goldberg relieved and got Mullings to look at a fastball for strike three, the final out and Goldberg’s first save.

In other action Thursday:

Culver City 1, Redondo 0--Left-hander Mauricio Estavil pitched a no-hitter and had 13 strikeouts to knock Redondo out of sole possession of first place in an Ocean League game at Culver City.

Estavil’s no-hitter was disputed by Redondo Coach Tim Ammentorp, who said Bobby Tassin should have been given a hit on a hard line drive in the seventh inning. The ball bounced out of the glove of Culver City’s right fielder, who made a diving attempt on the play. The Centaurs scored it an error.

“It should have been a one-hitter,” said Ammentorp, who has become quite familiar with Estavil. Last year he had 17 strikeouts in a win over Redondo.

“We don’t see many left-handers, and he has as good a fastball as we’ve seen,” Ammentorp said. “He’s been Cy Young against us.”

The decision left Culver City, Redondo and Mira Costa in a three-way tie for first place in the Ocean standings, all with 4-1 records. Culver City plays at Mira Costa at 3 p.m. today.

Redondo (9-6 overall) got strong pitching efforts from Artie Scarpino and Akash Sehgal, who combined on a five-hitter. But the Sea Hawks stranded six runners. They had runners at first and third with one out in the fifth, but Estavil ended the threat with two strikeouts.

“He made great pitches in great spots to get us,” Ammentorp said.

Troy Dunlap drove in the game’s only run on a two-out double in the fifth inning.

South Torrance 2, West Torrance 1--Brian Swearingen’s one-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and the five-hit pitching of Stu Manthey lifted the Spartans to an Ocean League victory at South.

Manthey, a junior, struck out nine, walked two and allowed no earned runs, helping South (5-8 overall, 2-3 in league play) post its third win in a row.

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Tay Sneddon singled home Kevin Fitzpatrick. West (5-8, 3-2) tied it in the sixth, setting the stage for Swearingen, whose home run over the left fielder ended the game.

South Coach Bob Grant praised his defense, singling out the play of second baseman Geoff Shearer and catcher Greg Paluscek, who threw out three runners.

Banning 10, Washington 4--The Pilots, who had scored only three runs in three previous games combined, broke out of their slump by collecting 11 hits en route to a Southern-Pacific Conference victory at Banning.

Designated hitter Mike Busby batted three for four with three RBIs, Jeff Harris was two for three with two RBIs and Lamont Dobbins was two for two with one RBI, as Banning improved to 8-6 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

Junior right-hander Anthony Lozano went the distance, giving up six hits, to even his record at 2-2.

Mira Costa 11, Morningside 0--Junior right-hander Andy Owens gave up three hits, struck out seven and faced only 23 batters in pitching the Mustangs to an Ocean League victory at Mira Costa.

It was the fifth win the last six games for Mira Costa, which improved to 6-9 overall and 4-1 in league play, good for a share of first place.

The Mustangs took command in the first inning, scoring six runs on three hits and six walks. Shawn Wright (two for three, three RBIs) highlighted the inning with a two-run single.

Inglewood 6, Rolling Hills 2--Despite being outhit, 8-7, the much-improved Sentinels delivered enough timely hits to come away with a Bay League upset at Rolling Hills.

The loss dropped the Titans, who stranded nine runners, to 6-6 overall and 4-2 in league play. Inglewood improved to 5-5 and 2-4.