Locals Gear Up for Baseball Playoffs

One down, one to go.

The Southern Section baseball playoffs have begun, as Division II Harvard-Westlake High opened Thursday with a 5-0 win over visiting Valencia of Placentia, and Division V Campbell Hall plays at 3:15 today against visiting Mary Star of San Pedro.

Harvard-Westlake (22-7) is seeking its first baseball championship in the school’s 110-plus year history, and the Wolverines got off to a strong start in the win over Valencia, as Lucas Giolito  allowed three hits in six innings while striking out eight, and Jason Garfinkel chipped in a two-run double.

The Wolverines play Arroyo Grande (18-6) in the second round Tuesday at a site to be determined by coin flip.

Jack Flaherty (6-1, 1.92 ERA), a freshman right-hander, is the scheduled starter, but Giolito, a 6-foot-6 junior headed to UCLA, could be available, too.

Giolito is 8-1 with a 1.11 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 63 innings. Some of Harvard-Westlake’s top hitters are Arden Pabst (.434, two home runs, 29 RBIs), Joe Corrigan (.369, two home runs, 16 RBIs), Wes Peacock (.351, 11 stolen bases) and Flaherty (.319, two home runs, 18 RBIs)

Campbell Hall won consecutive Division VI titles in 2005 and 2006, but the Vikings have yet to make it back to a final after being promoted to Division V.

“It’s a lot of pressure in the playoffs. You have to have the mentality of win-or-go-home,” Campbell Hall infielder Brett Lake said. “So we’re extremely focused and ready to go out there and win.”

Campbell Hall (18-6) is the No. 4 seed, and ace Jack Bensinger (8-0, 1.63 ERA) is scheduled today.

After battling it out to win the Alpha League championship over fellow Division V contenders Montclair Prep and Paraclete, Campbell Hall feels like it’s ready for anything.

“I think we’re extremely well-prepared,” Lake said. “Montclair Prep and Paraclete are two of the top teams in Division V, and we have a lot of experience from playing them, a lot of tough one- and two-run games.”

Campbell Hall is averaging nearly 10 runs with a robust lineup featuring Adam Ehrlich (.566, five home runs, 49 RBIs), Lake (.582, three home runs, 37 RBIs) and Bensinger (.354, two home runs, 26 RBIs). Overall, the Vikings are batting .364 with a team ERA of 2.90.

“We’ll see how we do in the long run,” Lake said.

Ehrlich loves playing at home, and he has hit all five of his home runs on his own field.

“By winning the league title, we got a pretty high seed to get a home game, and that’s always an advantage,” Ehrlich said. “We’re really excited going into the playoffs.”

IN THE CITY

North Hollywood’s baseball team finished 10-17 but has still qualified for the playoffs, as the Huskies play Tuesday at University in L.A. in a City Section Division II opener. First pitch is 3 p.m.

Jonathan Lunares, a senior infielder, went 2 for 4 in the regular-season finale against Poly, and he is batting .488 with one home run and 17 RBIs.

GET 'EM NEXT TIME

Campbell Hall’s softball team finished 2-12, including four consecutive losses to finish the season, and the Vikings did not make the playoffs.

However, just three of 13 players are seniors, so there is hope for improvement next season.

Enrica Fabricant, a freshman catcher, went 5 for 9 over the final games to finish with a .333 batting average, and senior shortstop MacKenzie Cendrowski batted .379.