By Mitch Lehman
San Marino Tribune
The San Marino High School baseball team is off to a strong start this season, winning all four of its games in the first week of play. The Titans have defeated Marshall, Hoover High of Glendale, Pasadena Poly and California High of Whittier by a combined run differential of 32-3.
Titans 12, Hoover 0
The bats were strong in the Titans home opener as senior Truman Koch drove in a game-high five runs. He went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in runs on a single in the first inning, a double in the second, and a double in the fourth.
Senior Tyler Giddings also went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and swiping three stolen bases. Ryan Park was 1-for-1 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored, and Kyle Ly went 2-for 2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Giddings , sophomore Tomas Bilvado and seniors Nico Osegueda and Kyle Ly all had scoreless outings on the mound to contribute to the combined pitching shutout.
Titans 6, Poly 0
Bilvado turned in a brilliant effort in his first varsity start, tossing a complete game two-hit shutout and striking out 10 in a nonleague victory on Thursday.
San Marino got things moving in the first inning when an error scored one run for the Titans. SMHS scored three runs in the fifth inning. Senior Sebastian Liquori had a sacrifice fly and junior pinch-hitter Coleman Morning contributed with a big two-out, two-run double.
Titans 5, Cal High 2
Friday’s game turned into an exciting pitchers’ duel between San Marino senior Michael Liquori and California senior Will Valenzuela. Both tossed five strong innings only allowing two runs apiece.
Momentum switched in the top of the sixth inning when Liquori was relieved by Morning with the bases loaded and one out in a 2-2 game. Morning was able to get a big strikeout followed by a flyout to left.
The Titans broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with Morning’s RBI double. The Titans added two more runs that inning on a Tyler Giddings fielder’s choice, and Sid Danenhauer’s safety squeeze that resulted in a hit.
SMHS will host Marshall this Friday in a nonleague game.
