Prep BASEBALL : Grant Wins a Title as Granada Loses Chance : Highlanders Upended by Kennedy, 4-0, But Stay Atop Mid-Valley

Granada Hills versus Kennedy.

It is the epitome of a high school baseball rivalry. Two schools, city blocks from each other, field teams with players who grew up together and usually have emotional, high-scoring games that include a bench-clearing brawl or two.

But something quite extraordinary happened at Granada Hills Wednesday.

Kennedy pitcher Eric Evans (7-2) held the defending City 4-A champions to only five hits in a 4-0 upset.

It was Granada Hills’ first scoreless game this season.

“Yeah, I was surprised,” Kennedy Coach Dick Whitney said. “It’s always been a batter’s game with lots of runs. I talked to (Granada Hills Coach Darryl) Stroh before the game and we talked about how it had always been a hitter’s game when we played. I thought it would be a high-scoring game.”

In their first two games this season, these two hard-hitting clubs combined for 40 runs. Granada Hills won the first game, 13-6, and the second, 11-10.

Despite the loss, Granada Hills remains atop the league standings. Kennedy (9-5) is tied for second with San Fernando, which beat Van Nuys on Wednesday, 5-1.

“It’s real tough to beat Kennedy three times in one season,” said Stroh, whose 10-4 team could have wrapped up the Mid-Valley League title with a win. “It’s real hard, in this league, to beat anybody three times.”

It is even more difficult to beat anybody when you leave 12 baserunners stranded, as Granada Hills did.

“Well, they’re the kind of team that lives and dies on your mistakes,” Whitney said. “Today, we were able to capitalize on theirs.”

The Highlanders’ first mistake came early. In the top of the second inning with two outs, designated hitter Billy Picketts hooked a line-drive double down the left field line. Then Granada Hills’ All-City shortstop Greg Fowble made a poor throw to first on a Corey Holst grounder, allowing Picketts to score.

After the Highlanders left two men on base in the third, they made their second mistake. With one out and Dean Yoshitani on third, the Highlanders got their signals crossed. Yoshitani, thinking squeeze, got caught in a rundown by Kennedy catcher Randy Sreden. Two more Highlanders reached base in the inning, but with two outs Fowble hit one back to Evans, who threw him out at first to end the inning.

Kennedy erupted in its half of the fifth inning. The Cougars scored three runs a single by Kevin Farlow and doubles by Joe Yurosek and Paul Plyler to go ahead, 4-0.

Granada Hills had a chance in the bottom of the fifth, when Dan Takahashi walked and Bob Allen doubled to left. But Takahashi and Olsen were left on base. With one out, Scott Stewart lined out and Yoshitani went down on strikes.