The stakes are high whenever Palisades High takes on archrival Venice, but last Thursday’s showdown at Stadium by the Sea carried extra importance: first place in the Western League.
The Gondos entered the contest having outscored their first three league opponents 56-0 while Palisades was coming off a solid 4-2 victory at Hamilton.
It didn’t take the visitors long to get on the scoreboard as Samantha Soto blasted a three-run homer over the center field fence off Paulette Ely in the top of the first inning.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Jaylene Navarro and Talia Hunter hit RBI singles to pull the Dolphins within 3-2 in the bottom half.
In the second, Navarro singled to tie the game and Talia Hunter followed with a bloop hit to give Palisades a 4-3 lead.
Venice (8-6 overall, 4-0 in league) answered with four runs in the top of the third to go back in front 7-4, but a single by Calia Hunter scored two runs to cut the Dolphins’ deficit to 7-6 after three innings.
It looked like the momentum might swing back and forth, but the Dolphins (3-6, 2-1) kept making mistakes and Venice kept capitalizing. The Gondos tacked on three runs in the fourth inning and a bases-clearing double by Kira Wessels in the sixth made it an eight-run margin. Venice went on to win 17-6.
Ely was lifted for Talia Hunter after being hit by a grounder with two outs in the fourth. Ely moved to second base but returned to the circle for the last two innings. Venice out-hit Palisades 15-12 but perhaps the most telling stat was the Dolphins’ seven errors.
“I’ll play wherever they put me, I just want to be in the game,” said Ely, who was struck in the forearm against Hamilton as well. “Mentally we need to wrap our heads around this and realize it’s just one game. Going on [spring] break will give us some time to reflect and practice our fielding.”
Navarro went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Talia Hunter went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Daisy Jones went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Calia Hunter added one hit and scored two runs.
“They had a couple of hitters we knew were good but our defense didn’t make plays,” Pali High Coach Tori Dario said. “We have to move forward. We have to stay focused on league.”
BASEBALL
Jed Moscot allowed two hits with no walks, no runs and eight strikeouts and the Dolphins pounded out nine hits during last Thursday’s 10-1 Western League victory at Fairfax.
Leo Bucksbaum had two hits and pitched the sixth inning and his brother Will Bucksbaum retired the Lions in order in the seventh.
Moscot improved his season totals to three runs allowed (only two earned) with 40 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.
“He’s been nails for us,” Pali High coach Mike Voelkel said. “I haven’t seen anybody better than him this season.”
On Monday, the Dolphins traveled south to play Chula Vista Eastlake in their opening game in the Premier Division of the San Diego Lions Tournament. Eastlake won 10-0 in five innings.
“That was the best team we played last year,” said Voelkel, whose squad lost to Eastlake by the same margin last spring. “They aren’t bad this year either.”
Palisades (4-7) played Ramona on Tuesday at West Hills and played Lakeside El Capitan at Valhalla High yesterday. Western League play resumes April 14.
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