Monroe Cries Wolf After Lopsided Loss

What can a team do to score runs against a talented and composed pitcher like El Camino Real High’s Randy Wolf?

Monroe Coach Kevin Campbell searched for an answer in Friday’s first-round City Section 4-A Division playoff game.

He couldn’t find one, and Monroe lost, 10-1.

It was a nightmare relived for the Vikings, who lost by the same score when the teams met earlier this season.

“Even when Wolf gets himself in trouble, he comes right back so it’s tough to get anything against him,” Campbell said. “He was just great today. He was too tough.”

Wolf (10-3), a senior left-hander who has accepted a scholarship to attend Pepperdine, pitched a complete game and gave up only five hits. He struck out 14 and walked three.

Monroe’s Joel Zamudio (5-3) lasted four innings and gave up nine hits and eight runs. He struck out five and walked two.

“He was not up to what I’ve seen him pitch before,” El Camino Real Coach Mike Maio said of Zamudio. “He was throwing hard, but kind of off.”

El Camino Real (20-7) took advantage, scoring four runs on three hits in the first inning. Billy Burnette drove in the first run with a single to right field and Matt Tays brought in the last three with a two-out triple to right.

Wolf, Burnette and Joey Maiden scored. Wolf and Maiden had walked. Wolf, who bats third in the lineup, walked in all four of his at-bats--twice intentionally.

“I felt a bit disappointed on my walks,” he said. “But I guess it really doesn’t matter. We came out intense and that’s why we won.”

The Conquistadores, defending City champions, added four runs in the fourth inning. Justin Martin scored on Steve Riback’s double to right and Riback came home on Craig Carlton’s single to center.

Burnette drove Wolf in with a double to right and later scored on an infield single by Maiden.

Monroe (9-14) scored its only run in the fifth inning when Eric Huitink’s infield grounder drove in Jaime Dorado. Dorado doubled to center and stole third base.

El Camino Real retaliated with a run in the bottom of the inning on doubles by Marvin Jones and Riback. In the sixth, the Conquistadores struck again on Joseph Baum’s double to left that drove in Maiden from second base.

Wayne Nix had three hits, including two doubles, for Monroe. He also came in to pitch in relief of Zamudio in the fifth and gave up two hits and two runs.