Peninsula Loses in League Heartbreaker

Managing only two hits and four total base runners against Redondo starter Grant Wessel, the Peninsula Panthers baseball team lost, 1-0, to the Redondo Sea Hawks Tuesday at home.

The Panthers (18-9-1) now fall to 7-2 in the Bay League, after having won seven of their last eight games, while with the win, Redondo (15-14) moves to 5-4 in league.

Coming into the game tied with the West high Warriors atop the Bay League standings with a record of 7-1, Tuesday’s loss was a crippling blow to the Panthers chances at a Bay League title.

“I am very disappointed in the way they handled themselves today,” Peninsula head coach Dennis Gonsalves said. “They had an opportunity to tie for the Bay League Championship and they let a very good Redondo team dictate the pace of the game.

“If they thought teams would role over for Peninsula High School, it doesn’t happen in this league.”

Coming into the game with a .321 combined batting average, Peninsula was held hitless until the the fifth inning, when third baseman Edward Haus hit a line drive to center field. Right fielder Ben Laetsch then got another single to right field, putting runners on first and second with two outs, yet center fielder Luke Streeter grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and any threat.

“I just hit a fastball. Wessel was really working today,” Haus said. “I have a compact swing and that was able to help me."

Peninsula got only one other runner into scoring position the entire game, when in the third inning, Streeter walked with two outs and took second on a passed ball.

Able to throw strikes and get ahead of the Peninsula hitters, Wessel struck out at least one batter in all but one inning and had a total of eight strikeouts in seven innings of work for the win.

“You have to tip you cap to that young guy,” Gonsalves said. “He pitched a heck of a game. He got ahead of our hitters. We didn’t make adjustments like we have typically done.”

Peninsula starter Cristian Torres matched Wessel’s intensity throughout the game, striking out 12 and giving up just one run on four hits in seven innings.

Able to keep the Sea Hawk hitters off balance, Torres mixed his off-speed pitches with his overpowering fastball.

“Both of my pitches were effective and I had confidence in myself and was ready to pitch today,” said Torres.

Yet, in the fifth inning, in which he gave up two hits, Torres had trouble locating his fastball and gave up the only run of the game for the loss.

With one out in the inning, the righty surrendered a single to Travis Fischvogt and an RBI double to Drew Kozain to give Redondo a 1-0 lead. Torres now moves to 6-2 on the season.

“He did plenty well to win the game, but my expectation, with his quality pitching and background, he should be able to pitch a shutout,” said Gonsalves.

The Panthers will finish league play Thursday at Redondo, before continuing on to CIF.

“It is really frustrating. We should have been able to win this game,” Haus said. “We had the Bay League Championship at stake and couldn’t deliver.”