NOTEBOOK / ROB FERNAS : 3 West Torrance Errors Lead to Elimination From Baseball Tourney

Despite a two-hitter by Brandon Marks, West Torrance was eliminated from the Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional baseball tournament on Monday.

West Torrance, the Southern California champion, managed only two hits and was hurt by three errors in a 3-2 loss to Paradise Valley, Ariz., in a losers’ bracket game at Taylorsville, Utah. Catcher Tony Cosentino had both hits.

West Torrance finished the double-elimination tournament with a 2-2 record. In other games, the team beat Reno West, Nev., 9-2, and the Republic of Guam, 14-4, and lost to Alameda, Calif, 3-2, in eight innings.

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The El Segundo American Legion baseball team lost twice to Chino last week and was eliminated from the Southern California tournament at Upland.

The first of El Segundo’s two losses ended in controversy. With the score tied, 5-5, and one out in the top of the 10th inning, a Chino batter hit a sinking liner at shortstop Morgan Ensberg with runners on first and third.

Ensberg thought he caught the ball on the fly, but the umpire ruled it had hit the ground first.

“Ensberg was getting ready to throw to first to double up the runner, but he had to regroup and go to second,” Coach John Stevenson said.

El Segundo nearly turned a double play, but the batter was ruled safe in a close play at first, allowing the runner from third to score the winning run in a 6-5 Chino victory Aug. 4.

El Segundo came back to defeat Arcadia, 7-5, in 10 innings Friday behind the pitching of David Reed and an eighth-inning home run by Steve Rawson that tied the score, 5-5.

That set up Saturday’s rematch with Chino, which rallied for two runs in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie and went on to win, 6-3.

El Segundo finished the season with a 27-11 record.

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A team of South Bay youngsters won the 11-and-under title last week at the United States National Junior Lifeguard Championships in Cape May, N.J.

Jason Hunt of Hermosa Beach led the team to victory, scoring points in five events.

Notes

Loyola Marymount seniors Paul Severns and Jason McEntee played on the gold medal-winning North volleyball team at the U.S. Olympic Festival last month in St. Louis.

Derek Anderson has been named sports information director at Cal State Dominguez Hills, replacing Kevin Gilmore, who left to assume a similar post at Cal State Los Angeles.

The West End Racquet and Health Club in Torrance will be the site of the South Bay Summer Shoot-Out tennis tournament Aug. 19-21. Singles and doubles competition will be offered in all divisions. The fee is $25 for the first event and $15 for the second. Information: (310) 542-7373.