Banning Snaps Dolphins’ Winning Streak

Baserunning Mistakes Prove Costly as Pali High Baseball Falls to Pilots 8-0 for First Loss in 16 Games

Riding an 11-game winning streak with their ace pitcher on the mound Palisades High baseball players were full of confidence heading into last Saturday night’s Tiger Classic matchup with Banning in Wilmington.

The Dolphins left three hours later just a little less sure of themselves after a humbling 8-0 loss—only their third of the season and first in over five weeks. Their previous defeat was 4-3 at the hands of another Marine League opponent, San Pedro.

“We’ve been on quite a roll but the rhythm and timing was off today and we ran into a team that plays the right way, plays to win and played harder than us,” Coach Mike Voelkel said. “They’ll be in the playoffs, so we get another chance at them somewhere down the line.”

After a shaky start versus San Fernando one week before, Ohio State-bound right-hander Wyatt Loncar was back to his usual ways, striking out 11 while allowing just two hits in four and two-thirds innings, but on his 90th pitch Angel Jimenez smacked a two-run double to give the Pilots (10-8) a 2-0 lead. Palisades needed three pitchers to get out of the sixth inning, but not before Banning scored six runs to put the game away.

The Dolphins (15-3) had two runners picked off first, two caught stealing and another tagged out in a rundown between first and second.