Sports

KNIGHT MOVES

The way Kit Schwartzman sees it, success breeds success.

Several players who helped the Bishop Montgomery girls’ soccer team win the Southern Section Division II title last month are having a similar effect in motivating the Knight softball team, Schwartzman says.

“They know how to win,” said Schwartzman, the soccer coach and an assistant to softball Coach Victor Ramirez. “Coming off a great season makes them want to have another great season.”

With eight soccer players on the roster, Bishop Montgomery has emerged as perhaps the area’s best softball team. The Knights entered the week at 14-5 after winning the championship of the El Segundo tournament, and they were a game behind Alemany in the Mission League at 5-1. Two of their victories are against San Pedro, the defending City Section 4-A Division champion.

“The expectations are very high,” Schwartzman said. “We showed last weekend that we can play without (some of) our starters and still win. We have a very deep team.”

The Knights were missing starters who had commitments to club soccer teams but still beat Santa Monica, 7-3, and Torrance, 7-1, Saturday in the El Segundo tournament. Most valuable player Shannon Stanovich, a senior pitcher, tossed a two-hitter in the final against Torrance.

Junior second baseman Jenni Purchase, who was seven for eight with a home run and three runs batted in Saturday, is one of five soccer players who have started for the Knights. The others are sophomore designated hitter Michelle Kallas, the Division II soccer player of the year; senior catcher Celeste Adams, an All-CIF goaltender; senior left fielder Rachel Mosley, an All-CIF halfback, and senior first baseman Bridget Arnett.

The team has also benefited from two freshman starters: shortstop Jill Sarmiento and third baseman Priscilla Camilang. Sarmiento and senior center fielder Mari D’Ambrosi were named to the El Segundo all-tournament team.

And the Knights recently received a boost by the return of junior pitcher Michelle Viveros. She missed several games with a broken nose after crashing into the catcher on a head-first slide at home.

Obviously, these girls mean business.

ARMED, DANGEROUS

When it comes to pitching, few high school baseball teams can match the depth and ability of El Segundo.

The Eagles entered the week with a staff earned-run average of 2.24. The leaders are Dan Croxall (4-1, 1.48 ERA) and David Reed (5-2, 1.52), but not far behind are Phil Costello (2-1), Derek Fowler (4-1) and Bill Brown (1-0).

“They’re all capable,” El Segundo Coach John Stevenson said. “It’s really a challenge to split the innings to keep everybody happy and give everybody the opportunity they deserve.

“All of them will be pitching somewhere next year, either at a college, a JC or at El Segundo High School. I just wish I could redshirt somebody.”

Reed, a senior left-hander and All-CIF selection last season, has pitched two shutouts in a row, including a no-hitter against North Torrance. On Friday, he pitched a three-hitter and struck out 13 in a 5-0 victory over South Torrance.

El Segundo’s pitchers will be tested this week. The Eagles meet Pioneer League rival West Torrance at 7:30 Friday night at El Segundo Recreation Park after playing the Warriors on Wednesday, and they visit Redondo in the championship game of the Redondo tournament at 7:30 Saturday night.

El Segundo swept Redondo in a doubleheader, 5-1 and 5-3, on March 15, but Stevenson said the victories were deceiving.

“At the time we beat them, they were in league (play),” Stevenson said. “They had to take care of league games as a priority, whereas we were in preseason and (pitched) our best. We did not see their best (pitchers).”

Stevenson said Croxall will start against Redondo. The game features two of the area’s best power hitters in 6-foot-3, 230-pound third baseman Steve Rawson of Redondo and 6-5, 220-pound first baseman Mike Poor of El Segundo. Entering the week, Poor was batting .476 with seven home runs, seven doubles and 19 RBIs.

COLLEGE BOUND

* Three seniors from the Morningside girls’ track team have signed letters of intent with major colleges, Coach Ron Tatum said. Sprinter Tai-ne Gibson signed with USC, quarter-miler Joronda White with Arizona State and sprinter Felisha Williams with Arkansas. Tatum said all three girls carry better than 3.0 grade-point averages and scored higher than the NCAA-required 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test as sophomores.

* Former Mira Costa basketball standout Frank Zeno, a 6-6 forward, signed with the University of Portland. Zeno started for El Camino College as a freshman before leaving the team early last season. He is one of the first recruits signed by new Portland Coach Rob Chavez, who replaced Larry Steele.

NOTABLE

* Kerry Crabb has resigned as West Torrance football coach to become offensive coordinator at Mission Viejo High. In three seasons at West, Crabb guided the Warriors to a 20-15 record, two Pioneer League co-titles and three playoff berths. West defensive coordinator Greg Holt is the leading candidate to replace Crabb.

* Former Harbor College baseball standout Rolando Avila, a junior center fielder for Cal State Long Beach, has been named Big West Conference player of the week for the second time this season. Avila batted .533 with four doubles, four runs scored and four RBIs last week.

* The Manhattan Beach Track Club will hold its eighth annual mile and 5-K run starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Live Oak Park. Runners competing for prizes in the elite mile include Suzy Hamilton and Ruth Wysocki. Information: (310) 372-9941.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

Eighteen seniors from South Bay high schools will be part of the annual Southern Section Academic Awards, to be presented tonight at Anaheim Stadium before the Angels-Baltimore Orioles game.

The awards recognize outstanding classroom achievement by athletes and teams. To be considered, a student must be a senior who has maintained at least a 3.5 grade-point average in college-prep courses for the past three years, in addition to earning at least one varsity letter and participating in an additional extracurricular activity.

Redondo boasts three of the four area seniors who have perfect 4.0 GPAs--Mandy Chavez and brothers Joseph and Rafael Hernandez. The other straight-A student is West Torrance’s Tracy Holman, who has a volleyball scholarship to Loyola Marymount.

Other area award winners are Nelly Weglarz (3.87) and Michael Luera (3.52) of Bishop Montgomery, Sarah Hickert (3.73) and Joey Bolder (3.54) of El Segundo, Surnaya Dinglasan (3.55) and Paul Basich (3.78) of Mary Star, Audrey Paulson (3.68) and Matt Harris (3.93) of Mira Costa, Joronda White (3.62) and Hector Hernandez (3.80) of Morningside, Denise Nishioka (3.88) and Khoa Vo (3.52) of North Torrance), and June Yamamura (3.58) and Oliver Turner (3.77) of Torrance.

A CUT ABOVE

Julie Oshiro, regarded as the finest women’s tennis player in Loyola Marymount history, has set school records for most singles and doubles victories in a season, as well as career singles victories.

Oshiro, a senior from Gardena, finished the season with a 30-8 singles record to break the previous mark of 28 victories she set as a freshman in 1991. She holds the career mark with 86 victories. She could build on both records if she receives a bid to the NCAA championships May 13-21 in Atlanta.

In doubles, Oshiro and teammate Kelly McMillion finished the season with a 23-11 mark, breaking the previous Loyola record of 22 victories set by Chris Anderson and Christy Gonzales in 1989. Oshiro and McMillion went out in style Sunday, defeating Wendy Guttierez and Jennifer Kocek of Cal Poly Pomona, 6-1, 7-5, in the final of the Ojai tournament.

Oshiro finished No. 2 in career doubles victories with 70, four short of the Loyola record.

CENTER STAGE

The Mira Costa High booster club and the South Bay Civic Light Opera have joined forces to raise money for the Mustang football program.

Tickets purchased from the booster club for the opening night of “My Fair Lady” May 13 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center will go to all levels of Mira Costa football.

Members of the varsity team, which won the Southern Section Division VII title last fall, will be honored before the performance.

Information: Sara Sellars (310) 545-8674.