SPORTS & OUTDOORS
TRITON REPORT BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES
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Two SCHS Grads Make MLB Opening-Day Rosters The San Clemente baseball program got its latest major leaguer last week, doubling the total of Triton alumni in the big leagues. St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Andre Pallante earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and made his MLB debut, joining Texas Rangers lefty Kolby Allard as San Clemente’s current major league baseball players. Pallante, 23, is a 2016 graduate of San Clemente High School and was drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of UC Irvine. After three seasons at UCI, Pallante spent part of one season in low-A ball with the State College Spikes in Pennsylvania. There was no minor league season in 2020 due to the pandemic, but by 2021, Pallante split time between the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in Tennessee and the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in Missouri. In spring training this season, Pallante made three appearances for the Cardinals in Florida. Pallante faced 13 batters in 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs and just one hit, with one walk and four strikeouts. That Grapefruit League performance was enough to earn Pallante a spot in the Cardinals’ Opening Day bullpen. Pallante made his major-league debut on Sunday, April 10, as the Cardinals hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates. In one inning of relief, he allowed one run on two hits and a walk, as the Cardinals ended up losing, 9-4. St. Louis trailed, 7-3, when Pallante entered in the seventh. The Cardinals are 3-1 on the season and play a four-game series in Milwaukee this weekend. Allard, 24, is a 2015 graduate of San Clemente High School and is entering his fifth major-league campaign and fourth season with the Texas Rangers. Allard made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him in the first round in 2015, before being traded to Texas in 2019. Allard played the full season with the Rangers last season and made 17 starts among his 32 appearances. Allard compiled a 3-12 record with a 5.41 ERA, 31 walks and 104 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings. San Clemente Times April 14-20, 2022
San Clemente baseball opened a three-game week against San Juan Hills with a shutout loss on the road on Monday, April 11. The Tritons hosted the Stallions on Wednesday, April 13, and the teams close the series on Friday, April 15, at San Juan Hills. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
Allard begins this season with Texas in the bullpen, and he made his 2022 debut on Tuesday, April 12, as the Rangers hosted the Colorado Rockies. Allard posted one scoreless inning of work in the sixth inning with a strikeout to end the 1-2-3 frame. Texas lost, 4-1. The Rangers are 1-4 and host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series this weekend.
Baseball Opens Key Series with San Juan Hills The San Clemente baseball team entered spring break with a surprise win over Sea View League-leading Trabuco Hills and rolled into the break with momentum through the Ryan Lemmon Tournament. The Tritons returned to league play on Monday, April 11, looking to keep up that momentum, but unfortunately for San Clemente, they lost for just the second time in league play against the same team and the same pitcher. San Juan Hills senior right-hander Logan Poyner tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to help shut out San Clemente, 3-0, at San Juan Hills High School. Senior Ethan Wolf closed out the final two innings without allowing a hit to seal the shutout. San Clemente (12-9, 3-2) hosted the next game in the series on Wednesday, April 13, but results were not available at press time. The teams close the series on
Friday, April 15, back at San Juan Hills (13-9, 2-4). San Juan Hills jumped ahead in the third inning with an infield hit and three two-out singles, two of which scored runs for the 2-0 Stallions lead. San Clemente didn’t threaten San Juan Hills until the sixth inning. Senior Steve Eisenhauer led off with an infield single—just San Clemente’s second hit of the game—and the Tritons loaded the bases with one out on walks by juniors Rhyn Chambers and Chase Brunson. The walks forced Poyner out of the game, but Wolf steered the Stallions out of danger with a strikeout and a flyout to maintain the shutout. Junior Kaden Aimer manufactured one more San Juan Hills run in the bottom of the sixth on San Clemente mistakes. Aimer reached on an error and advanced to second on a balk. The junior would score on a wild pitch to put the Stallions ahead by three runs, 3-0. San Clemente got a leadoff walk from sophomore Brock DellaVedova in the seventh, but Wolf sat down the next three Tritons batters to close out the San Juan Hills win. Following this series with San Clemente, San Juan Hills has a pair of games against Aliso Niguel and Trabuco Hills each of the next two weeks. In their first four games against the Wolverines and Mustangs, the Stallions scored only three runs while allowing 27. San Clemente currently sits second in the Sea View League after scoring two
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wins over Aliso Niguel and stealing a win from league favorite Trabuco Hills on April 1. San Clemente has three games against Trabuco Hills next week and two games against Aliso Niguel to end the regular season.
Roundup San Clemente girls lacrosse continued its rout of the South Coast League on Tuesday, April 12. The Tritons (10-1, 4-0) dominated Tesoro, 20-3, in a season-best offensive performance. San Clemente has outscored league opponents by a 51goal margin, 62-11. The Tritons host San Juan Hills on Thursday, April 14. San Clemente boys volleyball finally returns to action this week. The Tritons (14-10, 4-1) host Dana Hills on Thursday, April 14. San Clemente will square off with Tesoro for the South Coast League title at home on Tuesday, April 19. San Clemente softball continues to try to find its footing in the Sea View League. The Tritons (8-10, 1-4) lost at Capistrano Valley, 4-1, in their return to league play on Tuesday, April 12. San Clemente next hosts Tesoro on Tuesday, April 19. San Clemente boys lacrosse is finally back in action with its senior day in its final home game on Saturday, April 16, against Santiago of Corona. The Tritons (6-6, 2-1) get back to league play on Monday, April 18, at Tesoro. The Tritons topped the Titans in an overtime thriller, 14-13, on March 24. SC sanclementetimes.com
