Softball Roundup and Baseball Roundup:

Softball RoundupPerennial Ocean League softball power Santa Monica High is again the league favorite this season.A large contingent of players return from a team that didn’t give up a run in a league game last season.Coach Debbie Skaggs can call upon several all-star players and also bring along some promising newcomers.Pitcher Celisha Walker was the Ocean League MVP last season as a sophomore. Shortstop Kaile Nakao, who is also a junior, was out most of last season with mononucleosis but returned in time to make first team all league and was all-tournament at the High Desert Classic.Junior catcher Emma Woo is the team’s power hitter and also made all-tournament at the High Desert Classic.Hayley Condon, who was first team all-league as a freshman, missed last season due to a broken leg but will play third base and the outfield this season.The team includes three other first team all-league players, first baseman Hailey Sheridan, centerfielder Holly Elander and right fielder Kelsey Hom. Second baseman Yaneth Guzman was second team all league.In its opening game Samohi defeated Downey, 8-5.Crossroads has opened with losses to Oakwood, 9-7 and Viewpoint of Calabasas, 13-1.St. Monica, once more guided by co-coaches Larry Rodriguez and Joey Carillo, defeated LACES, 6-1 and Immaculate Heart, 4-2.New Roads has played one game, a 15-0 loss to Marlborough.Brentwood began with a 12-4 win over Providence, and then lost to Windward, 12-2 and Viewpoint, 6-2.Palisades’ opponents have scored 11 runs in each of the Dolphins’ first two games with opposite results — an 18-11 Pali win over Panorama and an 11-1 loss to Malibu.Emily Noel is six for six and Kayli Jones three-for-seven.Venice has opened with losses to Marshall, 12-1 and Grant, 2-0.Baseball RoundupCrossroads has begun the baseball season with three victories.The Roadrunners’ opener turned into a forfeit win over Vistamar High of El Segundo. Crossroads then defeated Oakwood of North Hollywood 11-1 and New Roads in the season’s first matchup of Santa Monica schools, 3-2 in nine innings at Clover Park.Matt Amido, the Crossroads coach in recent seasons, is now a co-coach with Pat Armstrong.St. Monica won three of its first four games, defeating Malibu 4-2, Inglewood 11-1 and Lawndale 12-1 but losing to Grace Brethren 6-2.That’s a big improvement over last season when the Mariners were 4-17-1.Jose Munoz has seven hits in 11 at bats, Kyle Schwan is four for six and Anthony Yoshinaga five for 12 with a team-leading seven RBI.New Roads has lost to Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills, 7-5, to Oakwood of North Hollywood, 6-5 and to Crossroads, 3-2 in nine innings.Quinn Barbini is four for five and Dylan Elkin three-for-five.Erik Scott, who hit .444 for the Jaguars last season, is now a starting outfielder for West Los Angeles College. Brentwood has defeated Blair, 9-0 and Brethren Christian, 8-6Miley Wapnick and Evan Abraham are both three-for-nine.Palisades has tied Burbank, 9-9, and lost to Newbury Park, 8-1 and Roosevelt, 3-0.Jon Moscot has two hits in four at-bats and Matt Whalen is two-for-five.Venice is 3-0 with wins over Hollywood, 5-3, Locke, 9-4 and Franklin, 11-3.Daniel Hordo is four-for eight with five RBI, Nic Losman is five for 12 and Eric Salazar four for six.