Baseball Beats Bell in Opener

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The baseball season is a marathon not a sprint, but that does not mean that the first game holds no significance. It can and often does set the tone for the rest of the year and Palisades High coach Mike Voelkel hopes last Wednesday’s 6-1 victory at Bell does just that.

The Dolphins started their season a week later than most other teams in the City Section, but they needed only four innings to shake off the rust and opening-day jitters. Starting on the mound was senior left-hander Mason Edwards and he pitched a gem, allowing three hits, one run and two walks and striking out seven batters in four innings of work. Junior John Iacono relieved Edwards in the fifth and gave up only one hit and one walk with four strikeouts over the final three innings.

On offense, the Dolphins plated three runs in the fourth and added one run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Outfielder Amari Yolas had two hits, two runs and two steals, Luca Ruggerio, Zach Gresham and Logan Bailey each added a hit and Jack Woods, Gresham and Bailey all had RBIs.

The Dolphins were aggressive in the running game, stealing nine bases—three by catcher Nate Sterling. It was a promising start for a team that hopes to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Palisades now enters perhaps its most difficult stretch all season. Weather permitting, the Dolphins will travel to Granada Hills today and Chatsworth tomorrow before hosting Westlake Saturday morning at 10. Three games in three days against two perennial City contenders and a Southern Section team from the always-competitive Marmonte League.

“It doesn’t get any tougher than  that,” Voelkel said.             

Palisades lost to Chatsworth 2-1 in eight innings and fell to Granada Hills 7-1 last season. The Dolphins were supposed to host Legacy in the Poly Classic on Saturday, but it got rained out and has been rescheduled for next Wednesday at 6 p.m. under the lights at George Robert Field. On Saturday, March 11 Palisades travels to Tujunga to play Verdugo Hills in the El Camino Real Tournament.

Western League play begins March 15 at home against Westchester and the Dolphins make their annual trip to San Diego for the Lions Tournament April 3-6.