Centaurs Spikers Drop League Opener

Entering last Friday's Ocean League opener against Santa Monica, the Culver City High boys volleyball team had a winning record and some quality wins to suggest it could compete with the defending champion.

The Centaurs did compete, giving Santa Monica all it could handle. However, after taking the first set 25-23, the host Centaurs lost the next three by scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 28-26 and dropped to .500 on the season. Andy Aguila had 12 kills, two solo blocks, two assists and 26 digs for Culver City.

Perhaps Culver City was still tired after the previous day's marathon five-set victory over West Torrance in which Aguila had 25 kills and 54 digs. The host Centaurs won 29-27, 27-29, 22-25, 25-20, 15-13, with Kekoa Mathews adding 11 kills and 15 solo blocks and setter Alex Aguilera dishing out 47 assists.

The Centaurs get another crack at Santa Monica on the road Tuesday, then travel to Beverly Hills on Thursday. Both league matches are slated for 3:15 p.m.

Baseball

Rick Prieto's squad lost both of its games last week, falling 5-2 to Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday and coming up short at home, 5-3, on Friday against Westchester.

Junior outfielder George Aceves went three-for-three with a stolen base against Mira Costa. 

The Westchester game was tied 3-3 when the Comets pushed across two runs in the top half of the seventh inning and Culver City (3-3-1) was unable to answer in the bottom half.

Sophomore second baseman Tyler Adkison had a big game, going four-four-four with two runs scored, two steals and one RBI and Skyler Blocker pitched three shutout innings. 

The Centaurs will begin defense of the Ocean League title this week against Hawthorne, at home on Tuesday and on the road Thursday, both at 3 p.m. Hawthorne finished fourth in league last spring.

Softball

Coach John Sargent's crew split a home doubleheader against Palisades last Tuesday, winning the first game 14-9 and losing the second 4-3--a game called after three innings because of darkness. 

The Centaurs (4-2) host St. Monica in a nonleague game Friday at 3:30 p.m. Culver City beat the Mariners 4-2 in a tournament game March 12.

Lacrosse

The boys went 2-1 in South Bay League play last week, losing to Mira Costa 19-2, beating Peninsula 9-4 and falling to Palos Verdes 21-3.  The Centaurs (4-2 overall, 3-2 in league) host a nonleague game against Viewpoint of Calabasas Monday before resuming league play Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Redondo Union. 

The girls will play only once this week, a 6 p.m. road game at Bay League rival Redondo Union on Wednesday.