PREP SOFTBALL CITY FINALS : San Pedro Is Easy Winner Over Banning

San Pedro High scored five runs in the first inning and coasted to an 8-0 victory over Banning in the City Section 4-A Division championship softball game Thursday in front of about 500 at UCLA’s Sunset Field.

It is the second title in as many years for the Pirates (26-3), who have won 28 consecutive games against City teams since 1991. Banning finished 15-6.

“We haven’t lost to a City team in two years,” San Pedro Coach Tony Dobra said. “This year we wanted to prove to everybody that we could dominate the City.”

The Pirates, who had 11 hits, scored five runs on four hits and three walks in the first inning and never let up.

The Pirates stole four bases and advanced four runners on wild pitches.

In the fifth, Michelle Spanjol, who went two for three, scored on Diana Barile’s line-drive single up the middle. Spanjol scored from second and Barile continued around the bases and also scored when Banning pitcher Ompa McKenna (15-5) was walking back to the pitcher’s circle after retrieving an overthrow.

Verdugo Hills 4, South Gate 3--The Dons (13-4) overcame a three-run deficit to beat South Gate (19-4) in eight innings in the 3-A Division championship game.

Verdugo Hills, winning its first City title, scored three runs in the sixth to tie it 3-3, and added a run in the top of the eighth on Vanessa Martinez’s fielding error.