Sports
Playoffs Hang in the Balance for Venice Teams
Baseball, volleyball and softball teams at Venice High hope to secure spots in the playoffs with wins this week.
By the end of this week, every team at Venice will know whether they will know whether they are in the playoffs or not. For some, their hard work will be paying off, while others will be disappointed that their season won’t be continuing. Let’s take a closer look.
Baseball
The baseball team has to be disappointed heading into this week after losing a crucial game to Hamilton on Friday. After winning six of their last seven, including a 6-4 tournament win over Hamilton, the Gondos fell to the Yankees 3-2.
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The loss drops them to 14-7, and they have just one game left this season. It’s a rematch with Hamilton, as they will be hosting the Yankees on Tuesday at 3 pm.
Softball
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The softball team has a big week ahead, as they have an important rematch coming up. The Gondos will be taking on Westchester, the only team besides Palisades that has defeated Venice in league play. That game will be at Westchester on Monday at 3 pm.
“That game is going to be huge because it will be a great indicator of whether we will be making playoffs. If we want to contend we have to win games like this,” said coach Jessica Ruiz.
After that, the league season will be over, but the team still has two more games on Saturday in the Spring Fling tournament. They are scheduled to play Reseda at 9 am and King-Drew Medical at 10:45. Both games will be at Venice high school.
Volleyball
The Gondo volleyball squad has been busy this past weekend, playing six games at the Sylmar invitational tournament. They lost to Verdugo Hills 2-0, and registered a tie with Northridge Academy. They also beat Banning 2-0, and lost to Saugus 2-0.
This week, the Gondos wrap up their season with a road game against Hamilton on Monday. For coach Allen Hunt, it’s a must win.
“I’ve said all along that to lock up the playoffs we had to win two of three. We got LACES now we need to get Hamilton. I think if we win we have a shot at a higher seed, but a home playoff game might be out of reach," Hunt said.
Tennis
The tennis team has wrapped up their season.
Swimming and Diving
The swimming and diving team has the whole week to prepare for the final meet of the season. The Western League meet takes place at Palisades on May 10.
Unlike many of the Venice teams, the Animo Venice Charter baseball and softball teams have two weeks left in their season. Let’s take a closer look.
Baseball
The baseball team has had nearly a month off, as their last game took place on April 13 against Harbor Teacher Prep. This week, they will have a rematch with HTP, who they beat 9-6 on the 13. That game will be on the road at 2 pm, with their next game being at home against Community Harvest on Friday.
Softball
The softball team has also been on an extended break, as they last played on April 15. This week, they have just one game on Friday at 3 pm at home against Community Harvest.
