SAMOHI — It's obvious a game is a blowout when, by the end, pretty much every starter is lifted to give bench guys a chance to play.
Santa Monica baseball scored early and often against rival Beverly Hills Thursday giving Samohi a 9-0 win, improving the Vikings' record to 8-0 in the Ocean League and an impressive 22-4 overall record.
"This season has been amazing," said head coach Kurt Schwengel. "They never let up."
Cal Poly-bound starting pitcher Alex Gironda set the stage by mowing down Beverly Hills' lineup in the top of the first inning and Samohi's offense didn't waste the effort.
The Vikings would go on to score six runs in the bottom of the frame to put the game out of reach for an over-matched Beverly Hills squad. The scoring was capped off by a sacrifice by Akeem Allahjah that scored Gary Dixon.
Samohi went on to score another three runs in the third inning that sealed the deal.
"Those guys are a good team," said longtime Beverly Hills head coach Vonzie Paysinger. "When I saw that their starter was dealing I knew we were in trouble."
The early lead let starter Gironda leave the game after three innings, giving him extra rest for Tuesday's pivotal game against Culver City.
"I felt prepared today," the senior pitcher said. "I felt good in the bullpen and I had good velocity."
The win over Beverly Hills is the second this week. On Tuesday, Samohi knocked off the Normans 8-1.
The win sets up a two-game series against rival Culver City and their 7-1 league record. The game on Tuesday at Samohi goes a long way in determining the league title.
If Samohi wins they take the league crown, making Thursday's season finale at Culver City irrelevant. The same thing happened last season when both teams entered the last two games sporting 8-0 records. Samohi swept the two-game set and won the league championship in Schwengel's first season as coach.
"I feel good about next week, but I know Culver is going to be coming for us," Schwengel said. "Those guys always bring it against us."
Tuesday's game is at Samohi and begins at 3:15 p.m.
daniela@www.smdp.com
