Eye of the Swarm

Pali High Baseball Handles Delay and Granada Hills to Advance to City Semifinals

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Staked to a 1-0 lead and well in control in Friday’s City Section Open Division quarterfinal game at George Robert Field, Palisades High pitcher Lucas Braun was one strike away from getting out of the fourth inning when play was halted for an unusual reason: a swarm of bees buzzing in center field. Upon consulting coaches and administrators from both schools, umpires delayed action for one hour until the swarm dissipated. When play resumed, Braun and the Dolphins picked up where they left off, adding a run on a bases-loaded walk by Cord Vanley in the sixth and escaping a bases-loaded threat in the seventh to blank Granada Hills 2-0 and move within one win of a trip to Dodger Stadium.

Braun, who threw a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a nonleague 7-1 triumph over the Highlanders   in early March, lasted six and two-thirds this time before giving way to Wyatt Loncar, who got Andrew Fishman to ground out to second to end the game.

“When they set up the [Open] Division the idea was to get more close games and so far it’s gone exactly how they planned,” Pali High Coach Mike Voelkel said. “Every game’s been decided by a run or two. We had our two best practices Tuesday and Wednesday    and this is the end result.”

Palisades, seeded No. 3 in the 12-team bracket, plays No. 2 El Camino Real in the semifinals today at 4 at USC’s Dedeaux Field. The last time the Dolphins reached the semifinals was in Division I in 2014 when they lost 3-2 to Chatsworth, also at USC.

After Kyle Grassl singled  and Jared Brecher walked in the third, Conrad Smith came through with a two-out base hit to score Grassl and the Dolphins made sure it was the only run they would need thanks to a pair of double plays and a diving catch in center field by Jake Nadley to end the fifth.

“It was a 1-2 count, I choked up on the bat, got a fastball on the outside corner and put it in the 5-6 gap,” Smith said of his RBI. “Many are saying ECR is a lock to  win but we see ourselves going all the way. We just have to execute.”

Vanley led off the game with a double and Palisades proceeded to load the bases but couldn’t score.

“He was mowing’em down,” catcher Julian Jacobson opined. “We’re confident Lucas will throw the right pitch in every situation.”