By JESSE HALEY Special to the Daily Press
Santa Monica High School’s varsity men’s baseball team extended its winning streak to five games Friday night, beating South Torrance 5-4 in the team’s second consecutive victory over the Spartans.
On its home turf in Santa Monica, the Vikings struggled early and trailed 4-1 until mid-game.
However, Viking players found their bats in the fifth inning, when James Cooper hit his sixth home run in six games, tying the state record for home runs in consecutive games by a high school player.
Cooper’s three-run shot tied the game 4-4 going into the sixth inning. Santa Monica pitcher Sonny Redondo held the Spartans scoreless in the final three innings, while pinch-hitter Jake Glick’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth drove in Danny Cassanova for the winning run.
Samohi goes into tonight’s home game against first place Peninsula High with an 8-3-1 record in Bay League play.
On Wednesday at South Torrance, the Vikings beat the Spartans 5-1 as pitcher Rocky Collis threw a complete game.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2002. Read the original PDF.