Esperanza Is Handed First League Loss

Paul Renfrow has seen his share of talented Sunset League baseball teams during his 22 seasons at Huntington Beach Marina, but the veteran coach has yet to see one finish league play with an undefeated record.

Marina made sure that trend continued at least another season last Wednesday, when it handed visiting Anaheim Esperanza its first league loss, 8-7. Luis Gonzalez hit a three-run home run in the second inning and scored the winning run in the sixth on a pinch-hit single by Casey Becker.

Esperanza (13-3 overall, 4-1 in league), which began last week ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times but slipped to No. 2 this week, has a one-game lead over Huntington Beach Edison (12-5, 3-2) and Los Alamitos (12-5, 3-2).

“It has been this way for years,” Renfrow said of the league’s parity. “Even when teams are down, they can still compete with anybody.”

Two weeks ago, the league flexed its tournament muscles: Esperanza won the prestigious Placentia El Dorado National Classic; Marina won at Chino Don Lugo; Fountain Valley advanced to the San Luis Obispo final; and 14th-ranked Edison reached the final at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.

Also this season, Huntington Beach advanced to the championship game of the Newport Elks tournament.

League play continues today as Esperanza travels to No. 17 Los Alamitos and Edison plays host to Fountain Valley (7-7, 1-4).

Dan Arritt

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Boys’ Basketball

Six Southland players recently received 2005 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year awards.

The recipients were Jamal Boykin of Los Angeles Fairfax, Michael Roll of Aliso Viejo Aliso Niguel, Bryan Harvey of Compton Dominguez, Ed White of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, Joe Ford of North Hollywood Campbell Hall and Marcus Palmer of L.A. Price.

Each received a plaque and $500 donated in his name to his high school’s athletic fund.