Century League Baseball : Canyon Outlasts Foothill : Cummings, Bladow Combine to Throw 8-Inning Shutout

Left-hander John Cummings and right-hander Dave Bladow of Canyon High School held Foothill to four hits Friday as the Comanches opened the Century League season with a 1-0 victory in eight innings at Foothill.

Foothill’s Doug Kopcha pitched eight innings but gave up a two-out bloop single to Phil Gasca in the top of the eighth for the game’s only run. Gasca’s hit scored Joe Furukawa from second. Kopcha (1-1) allowed only five hits.

Cummings, who gave up two hits over six innings, didn’t allow a hit until Adam Chambers’ leadoff single in the fifth.

Bladow (1-0) entered the game in the seventh. He struck out Mike Horton to end the inning and struck out three of the four batters he faced in the eighth. He gave up two hits.

Foothill (0-1, 3-4) never threatened to score; only three players reached second base--none in the final three innings.

Canyon (1-0, 5-1) missed a scoring opportunity in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Darren O’Banion missed a suicide squeeze attempt and Scott Myers was tagged out easily at the plate. Furukawa then grounded to second to end the inning.

“This was definitely a pitchers’ duel,” said Gerry Sedoo, Foothill coach. “Canyon just had the better pitching today. But we’re young and we’ll get better.”

In other Century League games:

Santa Ana 6, Villa Park 0--John Hefler hit two bases-empty homers and Fred Barrios pitched a three-hitter for the Saints (1-0, 6-1) in the league opener for both teams at Villa Park (0-1, 3-5).

Santa Ana shortstop Oscar Luna had a bases-loaded double in the second inning to drive in three runs for the Saints, who scored four runs in the inning.

Santa Ana Valley 8, El Modena 3--Darryl Lievanos (1-1) pitched a complete game, had three hits and drove in three runs for the Falcons (1-0, 4-4) at home. Jim Rameriz had three triples for Santa Ana Valley. El Modena is 0-1 in league.