Venice Baseball Outduels Palisades

Even after a 4-0 start in the Western League, Venice High varsity baseball coach Walter Fujita knew his team would need to step it up a notch to beat defending champion Palisades in Tuesday's first-place showdown.

The Gondoliers did just that, surprising their coach and the Dolphins with a 4-2 victory that propelled Venice to the top of the league standings–a place it is not accustomed to being.

"As the game went along, I was proud that we were playing on even terms with that team," Fujita said. "I have so much respect for Palisades. They are well-coached and it's been a number of years since we've beaten them."

Prior to Tuesday's loss the Dolphins had gone 47-2 in league games over the last four seasons. Palisades will look for revenge when the teams meet again Thursday at 3 p.m. at Venice High.

"Our whole goal was to throw strikes and play good defense," Fujita said. "We made a few mistakes but for the most part we played a clean game today. When you've lost to a team so many times you wonder if the kids believe they can win, but they obviously do."

Sophomore Wolfie Tash doubled to give the Gondoliers a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Palisades tied it in the bottom half when Julian Harrison doubled, took third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Elliott Barzilli.  

The game remained 1-1 until the fifth inning when Tash smashed a two-RBI double on a two-strike count to give Venice a 3-1 lead. The Dolphins (6-8, 4-1) answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 3-2, but Alfredo Martin drew a bases-loaded walk that put Venice (8-2, 4-0) ahead 4-2 in the seventh.

"Give Venice credit, they made the plays when it counted," Palisades Coach Mike Voelkel said. "We have to respond [on Thursday]."

Sophomore Ryan Losman went five innings on the mound and left with a two-run lead. He is the younger brother of former Venice High star J.P. Losman, now a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League. 

Reliever Chase Hoag, also a 10th-grader, pitched out of trouble in the sixth, then erased the Dolphins' first two batters in the seventh on called strikes and got first baseman Phillip Joseph to ground out to second to end the game.

"I knew I'd be okay as long as the team had my back," said Hoag, a right-hander whose best pitches are his fastball and curveball. "I was in the zone and I pretty much just gave them the heat."

Fujita said junior left-hander Aaron Soto will start Thursday's rematch. Venice travels to University (9-5, 0-2) on Friday for a makeup game at 3 p.m.

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