City Section results

Pool Play

Cleveland 12, Arleta 1, (5 innings)
Rigo Ramirez was four for four with a home run, double, six runs batted in and three runs scored for Times No. 25 Cleveland (18-5-1), while Juan Perez was three for three with three runs scored and three stolen bases and Robert Almendarez added a two-run homer. Arleta is 12-6.

Narbonne 8, Chatsworth 5 (8 innings)
Salvador Ramos had three hits, including a single to score Matt Durbin with the winning run in the top of the eighth inning for Narbonne. Juan Avila added two hits, including a single to drive in Carlos Avila and Ramos with the Gauchos' last two runs. Carlos Avila (1-0) pitched two hitless innings in relief with three strikeouts for Narbonne (18-5). Carlos Escobar, Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and James Wharton had a RBI double in the first inning for host Chatsworth (17-5). It was the second straight year Narbonne beat the Chancellors in their own tournament.

Santa Barbara 8, Granada Hills 3
Matthew Troupe allowed two hits with nine strikeouts in six innings and Patrick McKenna hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Granada Hills (8-15) a 3-2 lead before the Dons scored six unearned runs on two errors in the top of the seventh inning.

Sun Valley Poly 10, San Fernando 3
Oscar Soriano struck out 10 while throwing a three-hitter for Poly (11-12), while Gustavo Garcia doubled twice and drove in three runs.

ROOSEVELT

Pool Play

Alhambra 14, Los Angeles 0 (5 innings)
Quinn Lopez was three for four with two RBIs, Greg Saldate was two for three with two RBIs and two runs scored and Jonathan Beltran (3-1) threw a complete game, allowing three hits and striking out six, for Alhambra (18-1) against Los Angeles (12-4) at Moor Field.

LA Wilson 11, Maywood 8
Luis Salcedo hit a grand slam home run for Wilson.

Roosevelt 10, Downey Calvary Chapel 0 (six innings)
Eddie Almeda had three hits with two home runs and four RBIs and Joey Calderon added three hits and scored three runs for host Roosevelt (22-4-1) at L.A. Marshall. Martin Villanueva (7-1) allowed one hit with five strikeouts in four innings for the Rough Riders. Calvary Chapel dropped to 11-6.

Friday, April 18, 2008

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

Birmingham 2, El Camino Real 1
Anthony Gutierrez went two for four, Daniel Mora one for three with an RBI, Jake Granitz one for one with a double, RBI and two intentional walks and Edgar Olmos pitched a complete game, striking out 13 in seven innings to lift host Birmingham (8-10, 3-5). El Camino Real fell to 13-5, 5-3.

Chatsworth 8, Cleveland 6
Carlos Escobar Jr. went three for three with a double and a grand slam and Andy Weissberg hit a three-run homer to lead Chatsworth (17-4, 7-1). Host Cleveland fell to 17-5-1, 5-3.

Granada Hills 2, Taft 0
Arnaldo Salazar pitched a complete game, striking out six, to improve to 4-4, and Boyd Bell hit a two-run homer to lead host Granada Hills (8-14, 1-7). Taft dropped to 3-5 in league.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

MARINE LEAGUE

Narbonne 6, Carson 4
David Lepe had a solo home run in his first at-bat of the season and Juan Avila had two hits with a run scored for host Narbonne (17-5, 7-1). Ramiro Escalera (2-1) was the winning pitcher, gave up two earned runs and four hits, struck out one and walked one in 2 2/3 innings for the victory. Carlos Avila pitched to just one batter, who represented the potential go-ahead run, and got his fifth save of the season.

VALLEY MISSION LEAGUE

Granada Hills Kennedy 19, Monroe 0
Carlos Gonzalez hurled a two-hit shutout, hit a homer and had two RBIs for host Kennedy (12-9, 7-1).

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

EASTERN LEAGUE

Roosevelt 11, Huntington Park 1 (five innings, mercy)
Jose Nava went two for three with a double and three RBIs and Jonathan Alatriste was three for four with two doubles and three RBI for host Roosevelt (21-4-1, 10-0). Huntington Park fell to 4-12, 2-8 in league.

NORTHERN LEAGUE

Eagle Rock 6, Marshall 1
No. 3 singles Irving Martinez swept at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-2, and J.C. Leonardo swept at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-3, to lead Eagle Rock (11-1, 7-0). Host Marshall fell to 10-2, 6-2.

SUNSET SIX LEAGUE

Van Nuys 5, North Hollywood 2
Kevin Suvimonvong swept at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-0, for Van Nuys (11-1, 9-0).

VALLEY LEAGUE

Sherman Oaks CES 15, Fulton Prep 2 (5 innings)
Cody Woods went three for four with two RBIs and Zack Edgerton-Torti had two hits and two RBIs for visiting Sherman Oaks CES. Winning pitcher Matt Baker gave up six hits and struck out nine in a complete game.

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

El Camino Real 9, Birmingham 1
Alex Mejia hit a two-run home run and Michael Booth (7-2) allowed two hits with five strikeouts in five innings for host El Camino Real (15-7, 5-2). Birmingham scored on a throwing error in the third inning for Birmingham (2-5 in league). Jake Laurita had two doubles and three RBIs for the Conquistadores, who scored four runs in the fourth inning to take a 9-1 lead.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

MARINE LEAGUE

Wilmington Banning 11, Washington 0

NORTHERN LEAGUE

L.A. Wilson 4, Franklin 0
Pitcher Ernest Ruiz pitched seven innings, gave up three hits, walked three and struck out seven and Jonathan Rojas had a single with the bases loaded to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead host Wilson (5-6, 3-4) Laramie Martinez was two for two with an RBI for the winners.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Los Angeles 7, Maywood 2

SUNSET SIX LEAGUE

Sun Valley Poly 11, Van Nuys 5
Poly's Armando Rivera and Jonathan Estrada combined for six RBI as Poly improved to 9-12 overall, 4-3 in league. Rivera was 3 for 4 with a home run and Estrada was 3 for 3, each ha three RBI.

Grant 15, Canoga Park 0

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

Chatsworth 5, Cleveland 2
Give James Wharton credit for telling the truth. The Chatsworth senior first baseman doesn't hide his euphoria about getting to hit against Reseda Cleveland pitchers.

"It's a lot of fun playing them," he said.

Wharton has become the Cavaliers' nemesis. He hit two home runs in a March 6 victory over Cleveland, both coming off Stanford-bound pitcher Chris Reed. On Wednesday, he hit the first pitch from Reed for a two-run home run and added a run-scoring double in the sixth off another Cleveland pitcher, keying Chatsworth's victory in a game for first place in the West Valley League.

"He's amazing," Cleveland Coach Greg Venger said. "You go in with a game plan to not let him beat you and he sees one pitch and it's 2-0. It's frustrating, but there are times you have to pitch to him."

Chatsworth (16-4, 6-1), which won its seventh consecutive game, received a complete-game performance from Trevor Takeyama (7-1), who struck out four, walked two and scattered nine hits. Reed (3-2) walked five and allowed four hits in five innings.

It was the 18th consecutive defeat Cleveland (17-4-1, 5-2) has suffered against the Chancellors over the last six seasons. Cleveland has come close, as in losing, 2-1, in last year's City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium, but the Cavaliers continue to make mistakes and crack when Chatsworth applies the pressure.

Cleveland had one runner picked off first base and another thrown out at third when he was trying to advance from first on a single. At the same time, Chatsworth played errorless defense and Takeyama kept throwing strikes. His biggest pitch was striking out Jeremy Stearn on a 3-and-2 curveball with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

For Cleveland, shortstop Niko Garcia had two singles, a double and played terrific defense. Catcher Rigo Ramirez had two hits.

Chatsworth was supposed to suffer because of the graduation of its first-round draft picks, shortstop Mike Moustakas and third baseman Matt Dominguez. But defensively, shortstop Kasey Toven and third baseman Ryan Cooperstone have filled in admirably, with Cooperstone starting a game-ending double play Wednesday.

Chatsworth has a one-game lead over the Cavaliers going into a rematch on Friday at Cleveland.

The bad news for Cleveland is that Wharton, a returning All-City player, is just warming up. He was diagnosed with mononucleosis last month, lost 10 pounds and hasn't pitched since. His strength and timing is coming back, and he can't wait for another chance to face the Cavaliers.

--Eric Sondheimer

Monday, April 14, 2008

EASTERN LEAGUE

L.A. Roosevelt 13, Huntington Park 0 (6 innings)
Senior Daniel Vargas of Roosevelt (20-4-1, 9-0) was three for three with three runs scored and one RBI and teammate senior Jose Nava was two for four with a double and three RBI at Huntington Park. Senior Chito Alvarez pitched four innings, giving up one hit and striking out four to improve his record to 9-1.

South East 3, L.A. Jordan 2
Daniel Ornelas threw five shutout innings to pick up the win, Frankie Armas went three for three with a run and Cesar Carrillo was two for two with a run and an RBI for host South East (12-8, 5-4). Jordan fell to 1-9, 0-7.