Venice High Baseball Enters Late Innings

Heading into this week, the Venice High varsity baseball team was fourth in the Western League standings and had lost seven of its previous eight games. With four games left, home-and-home series with Westchester and Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, the Gondoliers are hoping to close out the season strong.

Venice ended its seven-game losing streak Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Sun Valley Poly at the Tiger Classic. It was the Gondoliers' eighth win against a Los Angeles City Section team. They also defeated Franklin, Grant, Arleta and most notably West Valley League contender Granada Hills--all in tournament games. The Gondoliers swept Fairfax and split with Hamilton in league play.

Perhaps Venice's most impressive showing of the season was an 8-6 loss to defending City Division I champion San Fernando in a Tiger Classic game April 21. A year ago, Venice finished 16-7 overall and 8-4 in league but still missed the playoffs. One of their biggest triumphs was a 4-2 victory at Western League king Palisades. However, this season the Gondoliers were unable to score a run in two games against their beach rivals, losing by scores of 9-0 and 2-0 last week.

Palisades, riding a 10-game winning streak, is in first place in league, followed by University and Hamilton.

SOFTBALL

After prevailing 9-8 over Westchester on Monday, Venice is right in the thick of the Western league race with just two games remaining. The Gondoliers (13-7 overall, 6-4 in league) are in fourth place with road games at Westchester and LACES left.

Defending champion Palisades beat Hamilton 11-4 on Monday to pull even with the Yankees atop the standings. The teams will meet again Thursday for first place in league, with Westchester half a game behind. 

BOYS VOLLEYBALL 

The Gondoliers are enjoying another solid season under Coach Allen Hunt, but they still cannot find a way to beat their nemesis, Palisades.

Venice finished second in the Western League behind Palisades and is seeded No. 12 in the L.A. City Section Division I playoffs. The Gondoliers will host No. 21 Huntington Park in the first round Thursday night. The winner advances to a second-round match at fifth-seeded West Adams Prep.

The Gondoliers (16-13, 10-2) finished fourth in league last spring and lost to Los Angeles Jordan in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs.