Behind Moore, Peninsula Wins Pitchers Duel

It might have been only the seventh game of the season for the Peninsula Panthers baseball team, but right-handed pitcher Sammy Moore has already found his late season form.

In only his third start of the season, Moore pitched a complete game shutout, allowing the Panthers to beat the South High Spartans, 1-0,  Saturday at home in the Redondo Tournament.

Along with the shutout, Moore gave up only two hits, one walk and struck out 11. No Spartan hitter even advanced past first base.

“Every outing he comes out, he keeps us in every ball game,” Peninsula head coach Dennis Gonsalves said. “He is ahead of every hitter and threw a masterful outing just like he has done all season long.”

In three outings this year, the righty has given up no runs in 21 innings pitched, walking only one and striking out 26.

In Saturday’s outing, Moore was able to throw his splitter and fastball to keep the Spartan hitters off balance.

“My curve ball wasn’t working that well, so I relied on my splitter and fastball to mess them up,” Moore said.

The Spartans only threat came in the fourth inning, when South second baseman Scott Matthews led off the inning with a single. However, Matthews was caught stealing, catcher Mike Esparza struck out and center fielder Gunner Johnson grounded out to short to end the top of the inning.

The other hit against Moore came in the sixth inning, when shortstop Dylan Tobin got a single with two outs. Yet, Matthews then struck out to end the inning.

“Going out for every game, I have the mentality of wanting to throw a shutout and I try not to disappoint myself,” Moore said. “I love that rush of having it be a close game.”

Coming into Saturday with a three game winning streak, in which Peninsula had outscored its opponents 17-2, the team only managed to score one run off of South pitcher Aki Yamamoto.

Replacing starting pitcher Jake Scarpetti, after he got hit in the wrist on a line drive in the second inning by third baseman Edward Haus, Yamamoto gave up one run, five hits and one walk in five innings of work.

The one run for the Panthers came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when first baseman Teddy Dilts hit a lead-off double and then scored when right fielder Derek Chance singled to left field, giving Peninsula a 1-0 lead.

While the game featured an amazing pitchers duel, Gonsalves said he was disappointed with his team’s situational hitting and inability to center-up balls.

“Everybody thinks that Sammy is going to throw a shutout every game and we aren’t doing our part offensively,” Gonsalves said. “We can’t ask Sammy to throw a complete game shutout every game. We just need to have more participation offensively as a team and help him be successful.”

With the team riding a four game winning streak, the Panthers next game will be Tuesday at North High.

“This is a very good team that plays high intensity every game and practices hard every day,” Gonsalves said. “That is our mantra.”