Column: Birmingham gets past Kennedy to reach City Section baseball semifinals, and everyone learns something

One pitcher didn’t know if he’d ever graduate because of family issues that left him homeless. Another pitcher lost out on throwing in the league championship game because he messed up in school and his coach benched him.

Don’t you think teaching teenagers life lessons is more important than what the scoreboard says?

Throughout Thursday’s City Section Open Division quarterfinal playoff game between Birmingham and Kennedy, I was thinking about Armando Yanez and Chris Alvarez. Thanks to their coaches and others, each was going to come out a winner regardless of what the score read.

In the end, Birmingham won 5-3, joining West Valley League rivals El Camino Real, Chatsworth and Cleveland in next week’s baseball semifinals. A throwing error in the fourth inning led to four unearned runs that included a two-run double by Johnny Tincher.

Yanez came on in the sixth inning and finished up to set up a semifinal game against Chatsworth at USC on Wednesday. Chatsworth got a shutout from Gabe Achucarro in a 6-0 win over San Fernando. Adam Christopher got a walk-off hit in the 10th inning to help El Camino Real defeat Roosevelt 4-3. Cleveland defeated Banning 3-0 behind pitchers Bryan Andrade and Devin Marton.

As for Yanez and Alvarez, both overcame adversity to have the chance to perform on the big stage. Yanez, a fifth-year senior, was living in Utah not knowing if he’d ever finish high school.

“It’s been an emotional ride,” he said. “It’s been family problems, making sure some food was on the table, trying to help my mom. I was homeless, living with friends, living at the park in a car. I had to overcome obstacles and figure out what I wanted in life.”

He moved to Southern California and now coach Matt Mowry is most proud that Yanez will be walking with the class of 2018 at graduation ceremonies next Thursday.

“We’re educating these young men to become men,” Mowry said. “The kid has been through a lot and for him to be graduating is great. Baseball is going to let him get his diploma.”

Said Yanez: “Baseball is my life. Without baseball, I wouldn’t be anything.”

Then there’s Kennedy’s Alvarez, who threw a shutout last week to beat Palisades and threw 3 2/3 innings against the Patriots. He was supposed to pitch in a decisive Valley Mission League game against San Fernando. But coach Marcus Alvarado made him stay home after trouble in school. Kennedy lost 5-3.

The next day, Alvarez wrote a letter to Alvarado apologizing.

“Think of your actions,” Alvarez said after his prep career had ended. “Think of the consequences. One bad thing can damage your team. I let my team down.”

Alvarado suspended another pitcher all last season, Philip Alfaro, who threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings Thursday. Alfaro was given a second chance and became the leader of the pitchers.

Yes, there were winners and losers Thursday, but the lesson for parents is this: Make sure your son or daughter has a coach who understands what’s most important.

“As much as you want to win, teaching right from wrong is the biggest thing for me,” Alvarado said.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Follow Eric Sondheimer on Twitter @latsondheimer