Baseball: Two All-City pitchers ready for showdown
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With a trip to Dodger Stadium at stake, Wednesday’s City Section Division I semifinal between No. 3-seeded Woodland Hills El Camino Real and No. 2-seeded Wilmington Banning at Banning matches strength against strength.
El Camino Real junior Jose Cardona, an All-City selection as a sophomore and committed to Cal State Fullerton, will face Banning junior Jonathan Hernandez, who also was an All-City selection last season.
Throwing strikes is going to be the key for Cardona. Hernandez, a left-hander, faces an imposing El Camino Real lineup that has registered consecutive mercy rule victories. Hernandez showed he can pitch well in big games, having lost to Chatsworth, 1-0, earlier this season.
The other semifinal on Wednesday has No. 5 San Pedro playing at No. 1 Chatsworth, which hasn’t lost a playoff game at home in 10 years.
The winners advance to Saturday’s 1 p.m. final at Dodger Stadium.
-- Eric Sondheimer