April 30, 2015 Page 5 Perez Walkoff Hit Lifts Cougars By Joe Snyder Photos by Joe Snyder A walkoff single by Vanessa Perez helped Hawthorne High’s softball team to a 4-3 win over Culver City in a key Ocean League game last Thursday at Hawthorne. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Perez singled home Fa Leilua from second base that helped the Cougars even their league record to 2-2. “It was a nice walk-off hit,” Eduardo Perez, Hawthorne assistant coach to head mentor Jerry Contreras, said. “It will only make us better.” With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Leilua walked. Elizabeth Cortez, then, hit to the Culver City shortstop but her throw was dropped by its second baseman and both runners were safe. Perez then singled to right, bringing home Leilua. The Centaurs were leading 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth but Hawthorne (12-4 overall) tied the game when Natalie Rocha’s sacrifice fly to left field brought home Leilua, who began the inning by being hit by a pitch. Culver, which is 5-6 overall and 2-2 in Ocean play, took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run double from Melody Rodriguez, but the Cougars quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run by Leilua. A run-scoring single from Sabrina Perez gave the Centaurs a 3-2 lead in the top of the third. The winning pitcher for Hawthorne was Carrie Ludman, who came in the third inning in relief of starter Alyssa Casillas. Ludman pitched five innings allowing no runs on three hits. Casillas gave up all three runs (one earned) in two-plus innings for the Cougars. At Hawthorne on April 21, the Cougars took a very good El Segundo team to nine innings before falling 3-1 in league play. Last Saturday, Hawthorne played in the El Segundo Tournament and began with a 12-10 victory over Village Christian from Sun Valley. The Cougars got things going with five runs in the top of the first and led 12-5 entering the bottom of the sixth before Village Hawthorne High’s Natalie Rocha leads off first base during last Thursday’s Ocean League softball game against Culver City. The Cougars edged the Centaurs 4-3.6. Lawndale Softball vs El Segundo Photos by Marcy Dugan, marcyduganphoto.com Prescilla Rojas pitching for the Cardinals Beating the throw at first base is Jalen Mojica. Christian made it close with five runs. The contest was marred by a combined total of 10 errors, three by Hawthorne and seven from Village Christian. After visiting Ocean rival Lawndale last Tuesday, the Cougars will host Ocean power and defending CIF-Southern Section Division III champion Santa Monica in another key league game Friday at 3:15 p.m. Hawthorne plays in the El Segundo Tournament Saturday before resuming Ocean at home against Beverly Hills next Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. LEUZINGER FALLS TO NORTH Leuzinger High’s softball team lost to North Torrance 11-3 in a Pioneer League game last Friday at Leuzinger. Amaya Eubanks sparked the Olympians by going three-for-three with two runs batted in. Abby Alexander sparked the Saxons, the top ranked team in the CIFSouthern Section Division IV, by going twofor two and driving in four runs. Leuzinger fell to 4-10 overall and 0-4 in league. BEVERLY HILLS SWEEPS HAWTHORNE Hawthorne High’s mostly young and inexperienced baseball team fell to 0-4 in the Ocean League by losing two games to Beverly Hills last week. At Beverly Hills on April 21, the Cougars lost to the Normans 3-2. At Hawthorne last Thursday, the Cougars lost to Beverly 7-1. In the first game, Hawthorne began with a 2-0 lead in the top of the second but went scoreless the rest of the game. The Normans went on to score one run apiece in the bottom of the third, fourth and sixth innings. Freshman Daniel Sanchez went one-for-three and drove in a run for the Cougars, who had just two hits in the game. Junior Jamal Evans and sophomore Charles Phelps each scored for Hawthorne. Phelps pitched six innings allowing three earned runs on four hits. Last Thursday, Beverly Hills started fast with five runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The Cougars scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on a hit by Jamal Evans, bringing home Max Riley. Relief pitcher Sanchez, who took over from Garcia, pitched five and two-thirds innings allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out five batters and walked one. Things will not get any better as Hawthorne plays two games against powerful El Segundo, ranked fourth in the CIF-Southern Section Division III, this week. After hosting the Eagles last Tuesday, the Cougars visit El Segundo at Stevenson Field today at 3:15 p.m. The Eagles are coming off two wins over Culver City last week. Hawthorne hosts Culver City next Tuesday at the same time. LEUZINGER FALLS TO TORRANCE Leuzinger High’s baseball team lost both games to defending CIF-Southern Section Division IV champion Torrance in Pioneer League games last week but the Olympians should be proud of their second game. Leuzinger only lost to the Tartars, who are rebuilding after their 2014 CIF championship and are 5-17 overall, 3-1 last Friday at Leuzinger. The Olympians took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning; only to see Torrance (2-2 in league) tie the game in the top of the second and add two in the sixth. At Torrance’s Kendall Field on April 22, Leuzinger was shut out by the Tartars 13-0. Leuzinger has home games against South Torrance Friday and North Torrance next Wednesday, both at 3:15 p.m. • Hawthorne pitcher Carrie Ludman winds up as she throws to a Culver City batter during last Thursday’s Ocean League softball game. The Cougars host Santa Monica in a key league game today at 3:15 p.
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