Crespi Duo Helps Bedevil Loyola, 8-3

Figuring out Crespi High’s pitching combination of Rick Marino and Pat Bennett can be tricky. The trouble lies in making the adjustment from Marino’s over-the-top delivery to Bennett’s side-armed sling.

Call the one-two punch Marino and Submarino.

The duo combined for a three-hitter as Crespi defeated Loyola, 8-3, on Tuesday in a Del Rey League game at Valley College. Marino started and Bennett replaced him in the fifth inning.

“Both guys were throwing a little harder today” than usual, Celts Coach Scott Muckey said. “Hopefully, that trend will continue. I thought they were both pretty sharp.”

Crisp pitching is not what struggling Loyola wanted to see. The Lions (2-6-1, 0-4) averaged 12 runs a game before league play began, but have scored just six runs against four Del Rey League opponents.

Loyola loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, but Marino got Crespi out of the jam by striking out David Vida and enticing the next batter, Brian Dennis, to hit into a double play.

Crespi (7-3-1, 3-1) answered in the bottom half of the first, batting around while pounding six of its 11 hits and scoring six runs.

Kevin Walsh and Tim Weir both hit two-run singles; Mark Venturine, Mark Maurizi, Victor Seper and Mike Peters also singled.

Muckey wasn’t comfortable even after taking the commanding advantage.

“I thought we were playing catch-up ball the whole game,” he said, smiling. “They’ve got some guys who can power the ball and there was no reason they couldn’t do that to us.”