Baseball: La Salle, Bishop Amat suspended by rain

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Miguel Melendez

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM LA SALLE-BISHOP AMAT GAME

Bishop Amat led 9-4 in the bottom of the seventh when the umpire called the game because of rain. Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto and La Salle coach Harry Agajanian agreed before the game that if the game was interrupted because of rain they would resume play at the next meeting at La Salle, which is April 15.

Softball: Alex Eaton, Alanna Pires power Tologs to win

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Miguel Melendez

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE MAYFIELD-FSHA GAME

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

PASADENA – Alex Eaton proved baffling. The junior entered in the third inning for the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team, just in time to stop Mayfield’s scoring spree.

Alanna Pires proved clutch. The senior third baseman opened the fourth inning with a triple and scored the Tologs’ first run. Her RBI single in the seventh tied the game, and Eaton beat the tag at home to score the winning run that completed a comeback from a six-run deficit for an 8-6 nonleague win at Brookside Park.

Mayfield (3-5) jumped ahead early with two runs in the first and four in the third, led by Katie Clancy’s three- run triple in the third that scored Jessica Parada, Lauren Armenta and Mireya Hernandez.

The Cubs appeared to be in control and on their way to an easy victory.

Eaton, however, had other plans. She took over in the circle for MacKenzie Lyng in the third and struck out six, allowing no runs and just four hits.

“I really feel she was an easier pitcher to hit than the first one,” Mayfield coach Jennifer Moulden said.

“Somehow she was keeping us off balance. I couldn’t tell by her pitches, other than I think our girls put too much pressure on ourselves.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart (4-5) coach Kirk Nishiyama called Pires, a first-team All- Mission League selection last season, “the glue” of the team, and for good reason.

Her leadoff triple in the fourth paved the way for four runs to cut the Cubs’ lead to 6-4. She capitalized on a throwing error to score while Lauren Torres reached base safely.

Molly Zwart singled in Torres, and Kelly Trueblood’s double down the third-base line scored Zwart to make it 6-3. After Alyssa Conti drew a walk and stole second, Trueblood came home on a wild pitch.

“They showed a lot of heart and didn’t give up,” Nishiyama said.

Zwart led off the sixth with a triple and scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 6-5.

Alyssa Conti opened the seventh with a bloop single, and Eaton reached base on a bunt single to start the rally in the seventh.

Boys Basketball: Kenyatta Smith wins Wooden Award

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Miguel Melendez

Kenyatta Smith said he was humbled when word came from Flintridge Prep athletic director Alex Rivera.

Smith, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound center who led the Rebels to a CIF-Southern Section Division 5AA championship, was one of seven athletes selected as a John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year.

Smith led Flintridge Prep to a 24-7 record and a second-round appearance in the CIF State Division V Southern California Regional playoffs after helping the Rebels bring home their lone CIF-SS basketball championship.

Smith averaged 19.8 points and 14.8 rebounds for a Rebels team ranked No.1 in Division 5 all season long. He’ll be presented with the award April 8 at the Wooden Award Gala held at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Wooden Award, and the high school winners will be honored along with the men’s and women’s Wooden All-America teams and the Legends of Coaching honoree, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. The high school award has grown from recognizing a single player of the year in 1994 to the six divisions of the CIF-Southern Section and the L.A. City Section.

Smith joins a long list of prominent winners that includes Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks), Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons) and Baron Davis (Cleveland Cavaliers).

“I was shocked when I heard,” Smith said. “I felt really humbled and really blessed. It definitely feels surreal, just realizing the hard work paid off.”