Halcovich Carves His Number in Valley, 6-4

Valley College has had four chances to get to Frank Halcovich, four chances to ruin his day. And four times the Canyons pitcher has shut Valley down, pitching four complete games and posting four straight wins.

Saturday, in the latest edition of Halcovich versus Valley, the Canyons right-hander defeated the Monarchs, 6-4.

Halcovich’s record against Valley this season is 4-0. When the state regionals begin Saturday, Halcovich will carry that record into the tournament in a way he probably hasn’t thought about--thanks to a Balboa Boulevard barber. Freshly shaved into the back of his half-inch-high haircut is a “4” and a “0,” representing his uniform number, 40.

As Halcovich (12-0) sat in the dugout after the game, changing shoes and eyeing oncoming reporters, he knew what was coming: Frank, why?

“To fire up the team going into the regionals,” he said.

As if keeping Valley from getting its hands on half of the Mountain Valley Conference championship wasn’t enough.

The championship is all Canyons’--the school’s sixth straight and 11th in the last 13 years. “We didn’t want a co-championship,” Halcovich said. “We had been hearing all season about how Valley was out to get it, but they didn’t. It’s ours.”

Since the Mountain Valley Conference was formed in 1983, Canyons has been its champion. The conference will be disbanded after this school year. The Cougars (16-2, 32-5 overall) are the conference’s only representative in the state tournament. Valley, the MVC second-place team, is 13-5, 25-10 overall.

“I really believe Valley is one of the better teams in the state,” Canyons Coach Mike Gillespie said. “It’s very unfortunate that they won’t get a shot at the state tournament. We’ll go to the tournament, but from this point on, anybody can win it.”

Regardless of their accomplishments, Canyons didn’t have an easy day. Valley scored three runs in the last two innings as Halcovich seemed to tire. Chris Haslock scored on an error by Canyons second baseman Vic Sotelo in the eighth and had a two-run homer, his 10th, in the ninth.

Canyons withstood the Valley attack, thanks in part to catcher Pete Kuld, who drove a Haslock pitch over the left-field fence in the eighth. Canyons first baseman Scott Drury also homered, a two-run shot in the fifth that put the Cougars ahead, 4-0.

Kuld, who had two home runs Saturday, hit a grand slam the last time the teams met.

“I pretty much own them,” said Kuld, sporting a freshly shaved head, no number. “I don’t know why.”

Losing pitcher Dave Cossairt wishes he did. He saw his record drop to 7-1 after giving up up three homers. He was relieved by Haslock after giving up Kuld’s second blast.

Both teams had 10 hits, but Valley sent 22 batters to the plate with runners in scoring position.

“Canyons answered the call,” Valley Coach Scott Muckey said. “When the game is one the line they always seem to do it.”

Notes

Frank Halcovich’s victory Saturday was his 12th straight against no losses, the best single-season mark in Canyons history. . . . Pete Kuld has 15 home runs, one shy of a school record with one conference game and the state tournament still left. . . . Canyons will play either Long Beach City or Harbor, whichever finishes second in the Metropolitan Conference, in the first round of the regionals. Canyons will play host to the first round Saturday. . . . Canyons Coach Mike Gillespie will rest Halcovich until the first round. The Cougars play at Antelope Valley on Tuesday. Halcovich has a strained back muscle but said it hasn’t bothered him on the mound.