Baseball: Granada Hills sweeps Chatsworth
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Going into this week, Granada Hills hadn’t beaten nine-time City champion Chatsworth in a West Valley League baseball game since the days of Ryan Braun.
To sweep Chatsworth in a two-game series is stunning.
But that’s what the Highlanders did on Thursday, holding on for a 5-4 victory. Omar Nunez struck out Anthony Mayorga with the bases loaded in the seventh to preserve the victory.
‘It means everything,’ Coach Steve Thompson said. ‘They’re the big dog.’
Collin Dudley threw the first six innings. Granada Hills scored four runs in the fourth. Chad Richman had two RBIs and Joseph Goring finished with two hits.
The West Valley League race has become quite confusing, because El Camino Real knocked off first-place Cleveland, 4-3. Tommy Derry had a three-run double.
Cleveland (6-2) continues to be in first place. Chatsworth is 5-3, followed by the Highlanders (4-4) and El Camino Real (4-4). Birmingham lost to Taft, 11-4. Birmingham is 3-5 and Taft 2-6.
In the Western League, Hamilton defeated Palisades, 4-3. Venice defeated Westchester, 5-4, in eight innings.
Banning stayed unbeaten in the Marine League with a 9-3 win over Carson. Juan Gallardo was two for two, including his 15th double of the season. Mario Verduzco retired all 11 batters he faced and had two hits.
-- Eric Sondheimer