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Centaurs catcher Daniel Hennessy blocks the plate and tags out Alex Tuner of Santa Monica. Photo, George Laase.
After entering this week’s two-game series against arch-rival Santa Monica High School unbeaten and tied for the Ocean League lead, Culver City played hard again yesterday, but several lapses undid the Centaurs, who lost 7-4 in Santa Monica after dropping the opener at home on Tuesday, 3-1.
In matching Culver City’s undefeated record of a season ago, Santa Monica (10-0, 20-10) next goes into the playoffs as the Ocean League’s No. 1 seed. Culver City (8-2 -18-6) will be the No. 2 seed.
The CIF Southern Section will announce the pairings on Monday at 12:30.
Uphill Climb
Culver City has its work cut out because it plays in Division III, where most of the powerhouse Bay League teams are – Mira Costa, Palos Verdes, Peninsula, Redondo and Serra of Gardena. All of these schools have very successful baseball programs.
“A loaded division,” says Centaurs Coach Rick Prieto. In 2011, the Centaurs made it all the way to the Division III semifinals before losing at home to Woodbridge 2-1.
Asked if he would continue to play an aggressive style of baseball in the playoffs, Coach Prieto emphatically said, “Of course we will. That’s what it takes to win. Our team is young. Just think how they will play when they understand when to be aggressive and the situations that call for it. They will have a great feeling for the game without me or Coach (Sterling) Roux telling them what to do.”
When asked about why the Culver City pitchers could get ahead in the count, get two strikes on the batter and then lose him, Coach Prieto said it can happen at all levels. “I’ve seen it in the major leagues and at the college levels. It’s a mental block. Sometimes pitchers don’t stay in the situation. They want to rev it up. They say they got this guy on three pitches. So they try to blow it by the batter. They throw it right down the middle.”
A single “should never happen in a no-balls, two-strikes situation,” Coach Prieto said.
Making a Positive
“It was good that we were able to use our relief pitchers today and give them some work,” he said. “Eli Bowie and Louie Ortega came in and held them at bay. But we left nine runners in scoring position. If we had gotten half of those runs, it would have been a whole different ball game.”
Looking beyond the disappointment of not winning back-to-back league championships and the sting of being swept by Samo, Coach Prieto said, ”I look at the upcoming playoffs as our second season, a chance to be successful and to move on to do greater things.”
Culver City’s goal, he said, is “to be a CIF division champion and for our young men to have earned that opportunity to go for it. We are ready.”
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
