BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Moreno Quiets Nerves, South Gate Batters, 6-3

Even though John Moreno is used to pitching in Bell’s big games, he still gets butterflies from time to time.

Thursday afternoon at South Gate Park, Moreno spotted the host Rams three first-inning runs on three hits in a game for first place in the Southeastern Conference.

A two-run double by third baseman Edgar Marquez with one out put South Gate ahead 2-0. Catcher Daniel Mojarro slapped a single into center field to score another.

After that, Moreno’s butterflies disappeared.

Moreno, 5-1, held South Gate scoreless over the next six innings as Bell prevailed, 6-3.

The senior right-hander gave up only three more hits, retiring 19 of the next 25 batters. Five of the last seven men he faced were strikeouts.

“The first inning I was nervous . . . ,” said Moreno, who had eight strikeouts in the game. “I settled down and started throwing some good ball.”

“Johnny had a rocky first (inning) but he composed himself and showed what a great pitcher he is,” Bell Coach Henry Santiago said.

South Gate Coach Mike Ryan was left to wonder what one more first-inning hit against Moreno might have meant for his team.

“We almost got (Moreno out of the game) . . . but he settled down and we stopped getting hits,” Ryan said.

“That one big inning hurt us.”

Ryan was referring to the fifth, in which Bell exploded for five runs on six singles. The fifth base hit, by shortstop Gus Valenzuela with the bases loaded, scored two runs to put Bell up, 4-3.

First baseman Val Beltran finished the string of singles with an up-the-middle bouncer, scoring two more runs to make it 6-3.

What’s surprising about Bell’s eighth consecutive victory is that the Eagles unleashed their 10-hit barrage against South Gate’s ace, Alonso Lopez (3-3), who suffered the first conference loss of his two-year career .

“Those were the first runs that Alonso has given up in league all year,” Ryan said.

Bell improves its record to 14-3, 8-1 while South Gate slips to 15-5, 7-1.

Bell Gardens 7, Alhambra 5--Left fielder Ben Gonzalez went two-for-four with an RBI and Willie Dominguez went two-for-three with an RBI in an Almont League win Thursday at Veterans Stadium. Lancer third baseman Jose Mata went two-for-three with an RBI. Bill Barajas struck out six batters in getting the complete-game victory.