Cook’s Homer Sparks Rout

Cook’s Homer Sparks Rout Cole Cook is an intimidating presence on the mound, but he is also a pitcher’s worst nightmare when he steps in the batter’s box. Cook is one of the best right-handers in the City Section’and has the stats to prove it’and yet his prowess at the plate was also impressive in Monday’s 16-0 rout of Fairfax at George Robert Field that kept the Palisades High varsity baseball team undefeated in the Western League entering the final third of the season. Cook faced 13 batters in four innings and struck out 11 of them, allowing one walk and not hits. At the plate, he was hit by a pitch to load the bases in the first inning and hit a three-run home run to straightaway center field in the second to give the Dolphins (15-8 overall, 9-0 in league) a commanding 10-run lead in a game that was stopped after five innings on the mercy rule. “Every single kid played today and that’s what I was hoping we could do,” Palisades Coach Tom Seyler said. “Fairfax is struggling right now but those kids show up and play every game. I have a lot of respect for them. I’ve been on both sides of games like this and the last thing you want to do is run up the score so I began taking starters out in the third inning.” Garrett Champion had three hits, two runs and a double, Zach Dauber had two doubles, David Skolnik was three-for-three with a double and Jones had three hits and relieved Cook in the fifth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Last Thursday, the Dolphins edged University 1-0 on a sacrifice fly by Andy Megee in the top of the eighth inning. After Shane Brando led off with a single, Jones walked and Eric Verdun executed a bunt single to load the bases for Megee. Cook would have pitched Saturday against Cleveland (a Chatsworth tournament game) but it was cancelled due to rain.