PREP BASEBALL : Esperanza Is 8-6 Winner in the Pinch

David Allen and Dwight Neade each had pinch hits to lift Esperanza High School to an 8-6 victory over North Torrance Friday in the first round of the Southern Section 5-A baseball playoffs in Torrance.

Allen singled in the fourth inning to score pinch-runner Dan Mondragon and give the Aztecs a 3-2 lead. In the sixth, Neade hit a two-run triple to right as Esperanza (18-8) increased its lead to 6-2.

Roger Weems (8-4) shut out North Torrance for two innings in relief to take the victory. North Torrance threatened in the last two innings when Doug Saunders, Esperanza’s third pitcher, walked three batters and hit two more. North Torrance had the tying runs in scoring position with one out, but Saunders struck out the final two batters to end the game.