Centaurs Blank Against El Segundo

Ocean League Baseball 2019 is not a picnic. For the first time all season Culver City High baseball took a pretty good one on the chin. Visiting El Segundo High thrashed the Centaurs, 9-0, on Tuesday afternoon, April 9, the first of two games this week between the two perennially successful programs in the Westside and South Bay.

Culver City also lost consecutive games for the first time this season while their record dropped to 3-2 in league. They still carry a respectable 14-4 overall record going into Thursday's return match at El Segundo. The Eagles, undefeated at 5-0 in league play, have scored 56 runs while only yielding four midway through the league schedule.

On the contrary, the Centaurs got off to a good start on the road last Thursday in non-league action. They opened with 17-hit attack, blistering Calabasas High, 13-2. But two days later they lost 6-1 at Chatsworth High. The score was tied, 1-1, going into bottom of the sixth inning. Then the roof caved in as Chatsworth rallied for five runs with two outs, effectively knocking Culver out.

That scenario was a precursor to the El Segundo game on Tuesday. Leading 2-0 in a tight game after four innings, the Eagles scored a run in the fifth inning before pouring it on with more six runs in the sixth inning. They sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, scoring on two singles, one double, three walks and an error.

The Centaurs only put five runners on base against the Eagles. Freshman third baseman Alonzo Reyes led the offense with two singles and one walk in three at-bats. Sophomore pinch-hitter Brendon Evans had a single and freshman right fielder drew a walk. Culver High put two runners on in the seventh inning to no avail.

In the win at Calabasas the Centaurs poured in all 13 runs in the first three innings. Culver City batters scored two runs in the first inning before sending 10 batters to the plate in both the second and third innings. Remarkably, all 17 Centaur hits were singles, an unusual team record that may last for some time.

Junior second baseman Joaquin Hines led the attack with three hits, three runs scored and two RBI's. Team captain and senior shortstop Mason Le also had three hits, scored two runs and drove in four runs. Junior centerfielder Tanner Duve had two hits, scored two runs and had one RBI. Senior designated hitter Nathan Carmichael had two runs, two hits and one RBI.

Freshman right fielder Justin Roulston had three hits and two RBI's. Senior first baseman James Roque and sophomore left fielder Devin Hayden each had a hit and scored a run. Sophomore catcher Malik Clayton scored a run. Sophomore first baseman Jack Bickerton, sophomore third baseman and senior centerfielder Barry Blocker each had a hit.

Last Saturday at Chatsworth, the Chancellors scored a run in the bottom of the first inning. The Centaurs responded immediately with a run in the top of the second inning. Roulston walked, went to second base on a passed ball and scored on Clayton's RBI single to tie the score, 1-1.

The pitching duel continued until the bottom of the sixth inning. Chatsworth. With two outs and a runner on first, the Chancellors doubled home the go-ahead run. A single, walk, double and two singles brought home four more runs for the 6-1 lead and virtual win.

Offensively, the Centaurs had six total singles and four walks. Hayden, Duve, Hines, Roulston, Clayton and Roque each had a hit. Junior left fielder Dylan Singh, Duve, Le and Roulston each drew a walk. Five batters struck out.

El Segundo leads the Ocean League at 5-0. Santa Monica High is in second place at 5-2, including a crucial 2-0 win over Lawndale High. Culver City is tied for third with Lawndale, both with 3-2 records. The team's split their two-game series in March. Winless Hawthorne High, 0-4, and Beverly Hills High, 0-6, dwell at the bottom.

The Centaurs have six games remaining on the regular season schedule before the CIF Playoffs begin. After Thursday's contest at El Segundo, the Culver City plays Cleveland High this Saturday in the last scheduled non-league game. The Centaurs' last four Ocean League games are with Hawthorne High on April 16 and 18, before ending the schedule with Beverly Hills on April 23 and 25.

The End