Knowing that a loss would end their season, the Malibu High varsity baseball team responded in a big way with a 1-0 home victory against Carpenteria Thursday last week. The victory gave the Sharks a third-place finish in the Tri-Valley League, and earned the team a wild-card matchup at Torrance High School this week in the California Interscholastic Federation Playoffs.
After a strong start to the season, Malibu (15-9, 6-6) had lost eight of their last nine games. Heading into the matchup with Carpinteria with their backs against the wall, the team knew that the formula to reach the playoffs was simple: Win or go home.
Perhaps it was fitting the game took place on Senior Day. The Sharks responded by getting big contributions from each member of what has been dubbed the “Malibu Six,” a group of six seniors who have been playing ball together since grade school.
It was a tense affair last Thursday afternoon as the first six innings finished scoreless behind strong pitching from Carpinteria and MHS senior Harry McAlevey.
But in the bottom of the seventh inning, the MHS seniors answered the bell as their bats came alive. With one out, Jordan Simon began the rally on an infield single to shortstop. Matt Gruskin followed with a single to left field on a hit-and-run play. Mark Stevenson came up after having singled previously in the game and proceeded to walk.
That left the bases loaded for Hunter Johnson, who walked to the plate with the opportunity to send his team to the playoffs. Johnson answered the call, making contact on a Carpinteria pitch and then beating out the throw to first base to drive Simon in for the game-winning run to send the Sharks to the playoffs.
But it wouldn’t have happened without some ace-worthy pitching from Harry McAlevey, who gave up just four hits and struck out four en route to tossing a complete-game shutout.
“Harry’s seven-inning complete game with everything on the line is absolutely epic and will be talked about for a long time around the new lure that is Malibu baseball,” Malibu coach Ari Jacobs said. “What a boost his performance was to our program.”
In addition, Johnson finished the game 3 for 4 with the game-winning RBI, and Evan Anthony played a flawless game in centerfield to send the Sharks to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
“It’s a nice accomplishment for us as a program,” Jacobs said. “We have been improving each year, and to go from eight wins a year ago to 15 this year and earning an automatic CIF playoff spot is something our boys should be very proud of.”
If Malibu can defeat Torrance (18-12) in the wild card game, the Sharks would travel to play at Don Lugo (19-5) on Thursday in a first round playoff contest.
Meanwhile, freshman long distance runner Caroline Pietrzyk ran the race of her life in the CIF Division IV track prelims as she turned in a time of 11:35.76 in the 3200 meter run held at Carpinteria HS. It broke the 12-year-old school record of former Shark long distance star Mimi Hodgins. Pietrzyk finished ninth in a field of 37 runners allowing her to go to the CIF Finals at Mt. San Antonio College this Saturday.
“If she continues to run in high school, I would expect her to become one of the top runners in Southern California,” Malibu Coach John Cary said. “She has the same determination in track as she did in cross country when she was named Most Valuable Player as just a freshman. Caroline has very little running experience. She has just taken off.”
Pietrzyk’s scintillating two-mile run took away some of the sting from a frustrating track season for the school. First, the “Marie Smith/Malibu High Invitational” was cancelled due to rain. Then the second league meet for the Sharks was missed because the bus never showed to Malibu to take the athletes. On May 3, a bomb scare at Malibu High meant the MHS track team could not attend the Tri-Valley League finals as the campus was shut down. Fortunately, officials from the TVL allowed 13 Malibu athletes to compete in the CIF prelims because of qualified marks obtained during the season.
“I was very frustrated because I saw and worked with all these athletes trying their best and not able to prove how well they could do,” Cary said. “I am sure it was equally frustrating to them. We missed three of our major meets due to events beyond our control. The coaches are looking forward to a much improved next season.”
Senior Walker Gareri broke a school record for the shot put by throwing 44 feet in an earlier meet this season. Cary pointed out that the future of Malibu track is bright with the return of Pietrzyk, Mia Green, Michaela Cosentino, Aaron Grushow, Aiden Pascucci, Blue Mabry, Karena Thompson, Alexis Hada, Olivia Thorne, Emma London and Erin Samuel.
The MHS boys volleyball and boys tennis teams exited from the CIF playoffs in the first round last week after suffering losses to Laguna Beach (3-0) and South Torrance (13-5), respectively.