Crenshaw’s Top Gun Nearly Gets His Bell Rung

Pitcher Mark Jones appeared like a gunslinger Thursday, shaking his right hand before gripping the baseball. He challenged Bell to a 2-2 draw for six innings in a winner-take-all City Section 3-A quarterfinal game.

By the seventh, the wind stirred up again and Jones became nervous. Faced with his biggest test, he walked three consecutive batters to load the bases with one out. However, Jones got Rudy Olmos to pop out to first base and Anacleto Zamora to ground out to shortstop Brian Murray to end the threat.

Damion Porter hit a run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh and top-seeded Crenshaw prevailed, 3-2. Porter had three hits and three runs batted in.

The Cougars (23-3) will play Hollywood Tuesday in the semifinals. The winner will play in the 3-A finals Thursday at Dodger Stadium.

“I thought I was going to lose my first game,” said Jones (16-0).

Said Murray: “Mark Jones has guts.”

Crenshaw Coach Major Dennis wanted to replace Jones, but his assistants talked him out of it.

“I’ve seen that movie,” Crenshaw pitching coach Ken Allen said. “They take the pitcher out and the next batter hits a line shot in the gap. I would be running out of here with the best of them.”

For Bell (21-5), it was the end to one of the best teams ever to play for Coach Henry Santiago. Seniors Willie Mendez had two hits, including a run-scoring single, and Olmos had an RBI double.