Peninsula Comes Out on Top With First Bay League Win

Behind a timely two-run RBI single from Justin Hertzmann, the Peninsula Panthers beat the Palos Verdes Sea Kings, 3-1, Wednesday at Palos Verdes for the team’s first Bay League win.

An emotional matchup between two heated Hill rivals, the Peninsula bench and coaching staff jumped out of the dugout emphatically when Hertzmann hit a single into right field with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, giving Peninsula a 2-1 lead.

“It was clutch,” Peninsula head coach Dennis Gonsalves said. “Our guys battled, played strong defense, pitched well and had some clutch hits.”

Hertzmann, who came into the game with a .167 average and just two RBIs the whole season, said he knew Palos Verdes starter MacKenzie Menthen (1-4), would throw him a fastball.

“I have been in a slump recently," Hertzmann said. “I just wanted to get it in the air or in a gap. I can’t even explain how amazing this feels.”

The Panthers then plated an insurance run in the seventh inning off of reliever Bo Ellis, when Luke Streeter scored from third on a fielder’s choice to second base by Ted Dilts.

While the Panthers started out the season 9-1, the team was 0-3-1 in its last four games, making Wednesday’s victory that much sweeter.

“We needed to break that losing streak and beating Palos Verdes shoots us back up,” Hertzmann said. “To start Bay League play like this is great. You can’t even explain how much of a great rivalry this is. It is the best feeling in the world to win.”

Peninsula starter Cristian Torres, who came into the game with a 4-0 record and a 1.11 ERA, pitched four innings, giving up three hits and one run, which came on an RBI single to center field by Chris Markulis in the third inning.

Gonsalves said he decided to take his star pitcher out one batter into the fifth inning after Torres' pitch count continued to rise and his velocity slowly decreased.

In the fifth inning for the Sea Kings, after a walk by a Michael Montpas and an error by second baseman Mark Okuma on a ball hit by Bobby Stahel put runners on first and second with no one out, Markulis grounded into a double play.

Then, later in the inning with runners on first and third, Montpas got caught in a rundown between third and home, eventually getting tagged out by Hertzmann to end the inning and the threat.

In the seventh inning, with runners on second and third and one out, and Dillon Rozas pitching in relief of Torres, David Basen was tagged out at home plate after Stahel hit a grounder to third base. Markulis then hit a ground ball to shortstop to end the game.

“It is all about approach and being selfless,” Palos Verdes head coach Evan Fujinaga said. “You have to advance the runners. We had a ton of opportunities to break the game wide open and we couldn’t get it done.”

While Wednesday was the first Bay League matchup for both schools, the Sea Kings will travel to Peninsula to face the Panthers again this Friday.

“We have been preparing for this all year to go to our place and play hard like today,” Gonsalves said. “We play every game 100 percent and are just going to compete."