The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
Any lingering questions about Wilson Bruins’ energy heading into their Moore League matchup against Jordan were erased early, as the Bruins delivered a dominant performance at the plate on Friday.
In the first inning, the Bruins sent 14 batters to the plate as they scored 10 runs on their way to an 11-0 win over Jordan at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Russell Centanni and Cooper George did all their damage in the first as they went 5-5 with seven RBIs. It was the perfect situation for the Bruins as they were able to shake off a tough loss to Millikan Thursday night.
“Yesterday was a tough loss for us, but we know there’s still playoffs, and there’s still a possibility they can lose to other teams,” George said. “So mentally, we had to stay aggressive. It was a good first inning for us. It showed that our bats were awake and we were ready. I’d say it was about jumping ahead in counts, hitting first-pitch strikes and not being early on it.”
After George doubled to center for Wilson’s first hit, Centanni hit a 2-run single to get the Bruins going. With a mix of freebies Wilson added to their lead with sac-fly from Penn Peters that made it 4-0.
After drawing another walk, James Mirabile, George and Centanni as the Bruins had four straight batters push guys across. George and Centanni capped the scoring to make it 10-0 after the first with back-to-back doubles.
“It gives us a lot of confidence, just being able to play with the lead and knowing we can hit and execute at home plate,” Centanni said. “It’s always good.”
On the mound, Wilson’s Shane Guy pitched three perfect innings facing the minimum while striking out seven. Cesar Castro and Kalin Badgley came in relief and each held the Panthers scoreless while issuing a walk each.
Wilson coach Andy Hall said he was happy with how the team performed after their tough loss and how the bats were able to get going.
The Bruins have two Moore League contests left and will face Lakewood on Wednesday. Jordan is battling to get to .500 and will travel to Compton.
