After dropping four of its final five regular season contests, the Samohi Vikings baseball squad became hot at just the right time and will be rewarding local fans with a second home playoff game Tuesday.
The Vikings have gone on a three-game tear through the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division V bracket, dispatching Nogales on the road and Ganesha at home before traveling once more to defeat Adelanto 5-2 on Friday. The win over Adelanto clinched a Division V semifinals matchup on friendly turf, as the Vikings will face off with Pacifica at 3:15pm with a bracket finals berth on the line.
Dominant pitching and timely hits have taken the Vikings this far, beginning with the continued exploits of a legendary 2024 season by senior pitcher Jackson Klein. Klein threw his third no-hitter of the season against Nogales, striking out eight of 21 batters faced en route to the Vikings 5-0 shutout victory. The senior ace gained run support from his fellow upperclassmen, as the team’s five runs were brought in by senior Bobby Munoz, senior Sage Douglass, junior Isaac Liberman and junior Brady Satinover.
The home contest against Ganesha was a closer affair, a 3-2 win decided in the sixth inning when junior Manny Lares knocked in fellow junior Jackson Myrow to break a 2-2 tie. More upperclassmen contributions came on the mound when senior Tony Ponce took over for Eddie Jennings in the fifth inning, as Ponce struck out eight of 11 batters faced, giving up just one hit in the crucial late stages.
After the 5-2 win over Adelanto, the Vikings headed back home to prepare for Tuesday’s contest against Pacifica. The Tritons (18-11-1) have outscored the team’s three playoff opponents 15-3, including a 9-1 win over Riverside Prep, and are led at the plate by first baseman Devon Wilkes. The junior slugger has hit for a .305 average in 2024 with 29 hits, 14 runs batted in, 12 doubles and two home runs.
The other Santa Monica diamond stars, representing New Roads, saw the 2024 campaign come to an end on Friday with a 12-0 defeat at the hands of Pacifica Christian/Orange County. The Jaguars extended a CIF-SS Division VIII playoff run in the second round via a 12-9 comeback win over San Jacinto Valley Academy this past Tuesday before the quarterfinal loss. The team’s playoff run was the deepest the Jaguars have gone since 2016, and finish the 2024 season with a 13-8 record, cementing a program turnaround that began last year.
Credit: SMMUSD
Santa Monica Baseball
Tuesday, May 7
Vikings vs Ganesha, 2024 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships Division V, Vikings win 3-2
Batting: Sage Douglass (Senior): 0-2, SH/B, 2 K. Bobby Munoz (Senior): 1-2, R, BB, K. Spencer Levin (Senior): 2-3, 3B. Blue Hunter (Junior): 1-3. Isaac Liberman (Junior): 1-3, R, K. Jackson Myrow (Junior): 0-2, R, BB, FC. Theo Smith (Senior): 1-3. Brady Satinover (Junior): 0-3, K. Manny Lares (Junior): 1-3, RBI, K
Pitching: Eddie Jennings (Junior): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.75 ERA. Tony Ponce (Senior): 3.0 IP, W, 1 H, 8 K, 0.00 ERA
Friday, May 10
Vikings vs Adelanto, 2024 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships Division V, Vikings win 5-2. Vikings Record: 20-7 (6-4 Bay League)
Next Game: Tuesday vs Pacifica, 2024 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships Division V, 3:15pm.
Santa Monica Softball
Tuesday, May 7
Lady Vikings vs La Quinta, 2024 CIF Southern Section Softball Championships Division IV, La Quinta win 2-1 Lady Vikings Final 2024 Record: 16-12-1 (6-5 Bay League)
Santa Monica Boys and Girls Track and Field
Saturday, May 11
CIF Southern Section Finals at Moorpark HS
Men’s Triple Jump Division IV Finals: 3- Braylon Taylor (Junior), 43-0
Women’s 1,600 Meter Division I Finals: 6- Phoebe Benun (Junior), 4:56.69
Women’s Shot Put Division I Finals: 2- Reign Snowden (Senior): 39-7
Men’s 100 Meters Division IV Finals: 8- Joshua Barnes (Senior), 11.05 seconds
New Roads Baseball
Tuesday, May 7
Jaguars vs San Jacinto Valley Academy, 2024 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships Division VIII, Jaguars win 12-9
Batting/Baserunning: Hayden Farrell-Katseanes (Sophomore): 0-3, R, HBP. Donovan Eastwood (Freshman): 1-4, FC. Bishop Banks (Sophomore): 0-2. Asamino Spong (Sophomore): 2-3, 3 R, BB, FC. Fox Raggio (Junior): 1-3, 4 R, 2 BB, FC. Elio LaPorta (Sophomore): 3-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI. Santiago Jimenez (Freshman): 2-4, 2 RBI. Tristan Nash (Senior): 4-5, 3B, 4 RBI, K, 2 SB. Xavier Walker (Sophomore): 1-3, R, BB. Sebastian Berumen (Freshman): 1-5, R, 2 RBI
Pitching: Elio LaPorta (Sophomore): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 7.00 ERA Santiago Jimenez (Freshman): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 28.00 ERA Xavier Walker: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Friday, May 10
Jaguars vs Pacifica Christian/Orange County, 2024 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships Division VIII, Pacifica Christian/Orange County win 12-0 Jaguars Final 2024 Record: 13-8 (7-1 Coastal League)
thomas@smdp.com
