Baseball: Campbell Hall returns the favor to Montclair Prep

Just as fast as the Montclair Prep baseball team moved into a share of first place in the Alpha League with a victory against Campbell Hall Tuesday, the Mounties are back out and in second place again.

The Vikings returned the favor after a 10-run loss with an almost flawless 7-0 victory Thursday at Simpson/Hartunian Field in Encino.

Jack Bensinger pitched a complete game two hitter with four strikeouts and a walk to lead the way for Campbell Hall (11-6, 4-1).

Bensinger was victimized by an error and his only walk in the first but regrouped to retire 14 consecutive batters until another error in the sixth.

The no-hit bid was broken up by sophomore Ben McKendall in the seventh with one out but Bensinger retired Myles Hagar and C.J. Percini to end the game.

"The wind was blowing in so I knew all I had to do was throw strikes," Bensinger said. "Throw strikes and let my guys do the work for me. I just wanted to let the their bats hit the ball and get ground balls."

Campbell Hall scored all the runs it would need in the second when Jesse Ehrlich led off with a walk and scored and Cory Bloom had an RBI single.

The Vikings added three runs in the sixth and two insurance runs in the seventh.

Ehrlich singled home Bensinger in the sixth and walked with the bases loaded in the seventh to knock in Brett Lake.

"Thats wasn't our team Tuesday when we lost," Bensinger said. "We were overexcited but we showed we can compete now. It was important to keep pace."

McKendall and Paul Adalpe finally solved Bensinger in the seventh with singles through the hole between shortstop and third base but it was too late against the Vikings No. 1 starter, who should go head to head with Mounties ace Max Fried on April 30 in the third and final meeting between the teams.

"That gane could be over in an hour and 10 minutes," Campbell Hall coach Juan Velasquez said. "Jack throws strikes and mixes his pitches so well it is hard to sit on anythung and Max is a great pitcher."

Campbell Hall moved back into a tie with Paraclete atop the league standings while Montclair Prep trails by one game.

"Our league is the best in Division 5 so whatever team finishes third will give somebody a hard time in the playoffs," Velasquez said.