West Torrance Romps to Victory Over North

West Torrance High scored 10 runs in the first two innings Wednesday en route to a 15-4 baseball victory over visiting North Torrance. The Warriors’ victory sets up Friday’s battle against Torrance for first place in the Pioneer League.

“It’s a real balanced league,” said West Coach Harry Jenkins, whose team is 7-3 overall and 3-0 in league play. “Torrance (2-1 in Pioneer play) is one of the preseason favorites, so it should be a good game.”

West ace right-hander Brian Fitzgerald (4-1, 0.90 earned-run average, 41 strikeouts) will pitch Friday’s 3 p.m. game at Torrance Park.

West left-hander Martin Macias pitched five innings Wednesday to record the victory. Macias allowed one hit, one earned run in the second inning and struck out four. Stefan Wilson pitched the last two innings.

“West is the best in the league because of their pitching,” said North Coach Roger Rosenthal, whose team fell to 2-6 and 1-2.

But the West defense faltered to allow North to score three unearned runs.

“We haven’t been playing good defense, that’s our biggest weakness,” Jenkins said. “We must improve there to have a shot in league, but I think we’ve been hitting the ball real well, we must be hitting around .340 as a team.”

The Warriors improved that average Wednesday, pounding three North pitchers for 11 hits and 14 earned runs. West sent 19 batters to the plate in the first two innings to score 10 runs off starter and loser Rick Brose and reliever Frank Ramirez. Brose, a junior, was making his first career start.

The Warriors also had a big fifth inning, when they scored five runs.

Fitzgerald, playing right field on his day off from pitching duties, went three for four with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Among his hits were a two-run double in the first inning. Cleanup hitter Tom Dallen and No. 8 hitter Josh Bendik contributed two RBIs each.

North, which collected three hits Wednesday, continues Pioneer League play with a 3 p.m. game at South Torrance on Friday.