Beck Knuckles Down to Beat N. Hollywood, 5-2

By the third inning of Tuesday’s game between Grant and North Hollywood high schools, professional scouts who had come to watch Grant pitcher Rodney Beck already had packed away their radar guns.

Beck wasn’t throwing many of the 88-m.p.h. fastballs that he has blown past dozens of hitters this season. He threw the scouts a curve by tossing a knuckleball at the Huskies.

The result was a four-hit, 10-strikeout performance that gave Grant a 5-2 East Valley League victory at North Hollywood. Grant improves its record to 13-3 and needs to win only one of its two remaining games to clinch its second consecutive league title.

“I’ve been messing around with the knuckleball since the 10th grade,” said Beck, who recorded all of his strikeouts on breaking pitches. “I started really throwing it last summer and it’s gotten to the point where I can throw it for strikes anytime I want to.”

That’s bad news for opposing hitters and coaches who knew Beck was tough enough before he expanded his repertoire.

“Last year, we came in second place because of Rodney Beck,” said North Hollywood Coach Brian York, whose team fell to 10-5. “This year we’re third. On the high school level, he’s as dominant a pitcher as you’ll find. If any of the top four teams in our league had him, they’d win the title. In a championship-type game, he’s the difference.”

Beck (8-1) may have topped his pitching with his bat. He was 4 for 4 with two runs batted in and figured in the play that proved to be the difference in the game.

Grant trailed, 2-1, in the third when Beck stepped to the plate with no outs and runners on first and second. His single scored Sean Pettway and the ball rolled under left fielder Jesse Hilton’s glove, allowing Juan Guerrero to score from first. Jason Peterson drove in Beck with a double that bounced over the center-field fence, giving the Lancers a 4-2 lead they never relinquished.

North Hollywood pitcher Mark Eubanks (8-4) was impressive at times and struck out seven. But the junior right-hander gave up 11 hits, more than a third of them to Beck.

“It feels good to finally start hitting the ball,” said Beck, who came into the game batting .279 after hitting .414 as a junior. “I started this season something like 0 for 18, so it’s taken a while to get back. At least I’m coming through when it counts.”

That seems to be the case for the entire Grant team.

“It looks like we’re peaking for the playoffs,” Grant Coach Tom Lucero said. “Everyone is doing a good job.”

No one, however, is doing it better than Beck, who is bucking for his second straight East Valley League Most Valuable Player award.

“Beck has a lot of different deliveries,” said one of the scouts looking on. “It looks like he makes it up as he goes along. With a little bit of instruction about the mechanics of pitching, I see him throwing his fastball like Rich Gossage.”

The Gossage comparison doesn’t just apply to Beck’s arm. Beck recently grew a Fu Manchu mustache that makes his scowl as tough to face as his array of pitches.

“I grew it to be a little bit more intimidating on the mound,” Beck said. “If I go out there thinking I can’t be hit--the other team isn’t going to hit.”

Grant scored the first run of the game in the second when Matt Simpson drove in Don Hussey with a sacrifice fly to center.

North Hollywood came back to take the lead with two runs in the home half of the inning. Glen Raasch led off with a walk, and one out later Hilton was walked. Steve Bernstein drove in both runs with a double to right.

Grant added its final run in the sixth when Beck drove in Guerrero with a two-out single.