Baseball Clinches League Title

The way things were going it was inevitable that the Palisades High baseball team would win the Western League title this season. The Dolphins did that even sooner than they expected. Palisades took care of business with a 6-3 victory over Westchester Thursday, then found out it clinched first-place because second-place Venice had to forfeit two victories for using an ineligible player. Not that Pali needed the Gondos’ help. Especially with senior right-hander Andrew Strassner on the mound. He pitched a complete game six-hitter with three strikeouts to improve to 5-0 and lower his season earned run average to 3.03. All-City short stop Dylan Cohen went three for three with a solo home run, catcher Adam Franks went one for three with a two-run homer and Geoff Schwartz had a hit and scored a run for the host Dolphins, who remained undefeated (12-0) in league with three games remaining. On Friday, Palisades traveled to Sun Valley Poly for an Easter Tournament game that held important postseason implications. A victory over a good San Fernando Valley team would have helped the Dolphins’ chances of securing a high seed in the upcoming City playoffs, but the host Parrots overcame a 4-1 deficit in the fifth inning to win 6-5. Kevin Seto doubled to lead off the game, took third on a sacrifice bunt by Monte Hickok and scored on Franks’ single. Manny Perez led off the top of the second inning with a single, then stole second. Matt Skolnik singled to score Perez for a 2-0 Pali lead. The Dolphins increased their lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Cohen singled, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Alex Thompson’s groundout to second base. Poly answered with a run in the bottom of the third, but Pali plated a fourth run in the next inning when Skolnik tripled and scored on a double by Seto. Schwartz (5-2) was in command early but the Parrots (20-6) finally got to him in the fifth and six innings, thanks in part to three Dolphin errors that led to three runs. Schwartz, who leads all Pali starters with a 0.73 earned run average, allowed six runs on six hits with three strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Skolnik. Trailing by two runs, Pali (17-4) tried to mount a comeback in the seventh inning. Franks led off with a single, took second on a throwing error and advanced to third on Thompson’s groundout to third. Franks scored on a groundout by Perez to pull the Dolphins within a run but David Bromberg struck out swinging to end the game. Palisades traveled to Hamilton Tuesday and hosts University at 3 p.m. today at George Robert Field. The Dolphins wrap up league play at Venice next Tuesday. The seeding meeting is Monday, May 24, at Hamilton High and the City playoffs begin Friday, May 28.