Baseball: Granada Hills gets West Valley win over ECR
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Combining youth with experience, Granada Hills is hoping to become a major factor in the West Valley League this season, and the Highlanders (11-4) began league play on Wednesday with a 5-4 victory over Woodland Hills El Camino Real.
Sophomore Erik Whittlesey contributed a two-run single during a four-run second inning. Sophomore Justin Castaneda had three hits. Junior second baseman Sam Comstock played flawlessly in the field. Senior shortstop Arehn Avanessian came through with his glove. And senior pitcher Nathaniel Pyle threw six solid innings.
El Camino Real (6-6) tried to come back from a 5-0 deficit, but Ryan McBride got a forceout in the seventh to end the game. Hayden Rappoport had three hits for El Camino Real.
Chatsworth began league play with a 10-0 win over Taft in five innings. Jason Karkenny struck out six. Scott Voets had three RBIs. Taft pitchers walked 12 batters.
In the Valley Mission League, Kennedy defeated Panorama, 26-0. In the Pacific League, Daniel Starkland struck out seven and walked none in Burbank’s 3-0 win over Pasadena. In the East Valley League, Josue Moreno struck out 14 and Tavo Marquez and Alejandro Lopez had three hits apiece in Poly’s 14-0 win over Sun Valley.
In the Northern League, Adam Martinez and Chrstian Garcia hit consecutive home runs in Lincoln’s 9-1 win over Franklin.
In the Citrus Belt League, Redlands (13-1), ranked No. 1 in Division 2, scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Redlands East Valley, 5-4.
In the South Coast League, Capistrano Valley defeated Dana Hills, 2-1. In the Moore League, Long Beach Wilson defeated Long Beach Jordan, 5-1. In the Century League, Esperanza won its eighth consecutive game, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Villa Park, 5-4. The Aztecs scored three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to win. Brad Anderson had three hits.
In the Foothill League, Saugus handed West Ranch its first league defeat, 6-4. Justin Donatella improved to 4-1 by allowing two runs in six innings. Josh Heinz had three hits for West Ranch, which is tied with Saugus and Hart for first place with 3-1 records. Hart defeated Golden Valley, 8-5, in eight innings. CJ Witkowski hit two home runs.
Valencia defeated Canyon, 2-1, on a home run by Trey Williams. Connor Chase threw a complete game.
In the Poly tournament Cathedral defeated South East, 13-0. Joshua Ibarra hit a home run and triple. Michaell Palos and Willie Aguilar had three hits each.
-- Eric Sondheimer