Montclair Prep 3, Sharks 0

Montclair Prep sophomore Enrique Zenon held the Sharks to two hits in a complete-game shutout at Malibu High on Friday. The 3-0 loss dropped Malibu’s record on the season to 5-6 going into today’s game against Grace Brethren.

For four innings, senior Colbie Bell, aided by the outstanding defensive play of Michael Gwyn at third base and Nate Schoenbrun in centerfield, kept the Mounties off the scoreboard. Two walks and a single in the top of the fifth inning gave Montclair Prep a 2-0 lead. An unearned run in the sixth completed the scoring.

Defense was the name of the game for the Sharks on the day. After a one-out single by Ray Palafox in the top of the first, Bell snagged a ball hit hard back up the middle off the bat of Naveed Rezvani to start a 1-6-3 double play. In the top of the second, Matt Hirsch singled and stole second with one out. When Patrick Jameson singled to center, Schoenbrun fired a perfect throw to Stephen Williams at the plate to nail Hirsch trying to score.

Gwyn, meanwhile, made outstanding defensive plays in the second, sixth, and seventh innings to take away base hits.

In the top of the third, Bell hit leadoff hitter Marc Sweet. After Sweet moved up on Ranny Lowe’s bunt, Bell picked Sweet off second. Palafox walked to set up the second double play of the game for Malibu. With Lowe running on the pitch, Rezvani hit a line drive that Greg Kernodle speared near the bag for an easy unassisted double play.

Bell worked out of his own jam in the fourth inning. Two hit batters, a fielder’s choice, and a single loaded the bases for the Mounties with one out in the inning. Bell got Zenon to foul out to Brooks Fitch at first and Sweet to ground out to Kernodle at second to end the inning unscathed.

Meanwhile, the Sharks were unable to put any offense together. Kernodle reached first on an error in the bottom of the first, advanced to second on Jared Weinstock’s groundout, and moved to third on a passed ball, but was unable to score. Fitch walked to bring Williams, the Sharks’ RBI leader, to the plate. Williams fouled out on the first pitch. Gwyn then hit a 1-0 pitch deep to left, but Sweet gathered it in for the third out.

Malibu went in order in the second inning. In the third, Weinstock hit a two-out double to the base of the fence in right. He advanced to third on a passed ball, but was stranded when Fitch grounded to second to end the inning.

The only other hit off Zenon came with two outs in the fourth when Jacob Perrin hit a liner to center. Perrin, however, was caught at second on a delayed steal attempt.

In spite of the absence of hits, the Sharks, down 3-0, had an opportunity to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Kernodle and Weinstock both walked. Fitch hit an 0-2 pitch hard down the third base line. Rezvani fielded it, stepped on third to get Kernodle and threw to second to get Weinstock. Lowe attempted to complete the triple play, but his relay to first was wild, allowing Fitch to move up to second. The inning ended on Williams’ groundout to second.

It was a day of missed opportunities. The Sharks left five runners in scoring position. Montclair, however, had seven runners left in scoring position and two runners thrown out at the plate by Schoenbrun.