U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : ROUNDUP : Wolf Near Perfect for 4 Innings

Randy Wolf, masterful in two City championship games at Dodger Stadium, showed Thursday night he has Busch Stadium conquered, too. He pitched four hitless innings, striking out five and allowing only one baserunner in his Olympic Festival debut.

Unfortunately for the West team, Wolf didn’t pitch until the sixth inning. By that time, the North already had all the runs it needed to post a 4-2 victory.

Wolf, from El Camino Real High, issued one walk, and a disputed one at that. Catcher Tom Topaum was on his way to the dugout after framing an 0-and-2 curveball, but the umpire called the pitch a ball. Otherwise, Wolf was perfect.

Just as Bryan LaCour was in two chances at third base, and also in a pair of plate appearances. LaCour, from Chatsworth High, had a single in the seventh and a double in the bottom of the ninth.

Jon Schaeffer, who played at Harvard-Westlake High, started at catcher for the West and was hitless in four at-bats.

In other Olympic Festival action:

Anita Zakharyan of Glendale and partner Brian Pace of Augusta, Ga., lost only one game in sweeping three mixed doubles table tennis matches and advancing to the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Zakharyan, ranked fourth in the nation among women’s players, split two singles matches during team competition, defeating Karen Change of Jamica Estates, N.Y., 21-11, 21-10, and losing to second-ranked Lily Yip of Metuchen, N.J., 21-14, 21-19.

Masaru Hashimoto of Pacoima lost twice in men’s singles, once in doubles and three times in mixed doubles.

In men’s volleyball, the East team lost for the first time in three matches as Cal State Northridge teammates Jon Baer and Peter Piexoto played sparingly against the North. Baer had nine kills and one block. Piexoto contributed three kills and three blocks.

Doug Hughes of Moorpark had 12 kills for the North. Paul Severns of Glendale added eight kills and seven blocks.

In racquetball, Tony Jelso of Woodland Hills, Festival singles champion last year, teamed with Sudsy Monchik of Staten Island, N.Y., to easily dispatch Michael Bronfeld of Carmel Valley, Calif., and Bobby Rodriguez of Denver, 15-0, 15-3.

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