VALLEY SPORTS : HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL : Birmingham Tumbles Into 1st-Place Tie, 6-4

Although Monroe has been eliminated from winning the Mid-Valley League championship, it has assumed the role of spoiler. The Vikings scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning Friday to defeat Birmingham, 6-4.

The loss drops Birmingham (10-5, 8-4) into a first-place tie with San Fernando.

Monroe (5-7) had five consecutive singles and a hit batter in the seventh before Ronald Robart drove in the winning run on a bases-loaded single.

Monroe’s Jeff Frith-Smith (2-1) pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and three earned runs. He struck out seven. Monroe’s Alex Chahinian and Birmingham’s Dean Kline and Damon Buford each had two hits.

MID-VALLEY LEAGUE

San Fernando (9-7, 8-4) capitalized on four Van Nuys errors and scored three unearned runs in an 11-9 win at San Fernando. Sophomore Frank Serna (6-1), San Fernando’s fourth pitcher, pitched 2 scoreless innings to register the win.

Randy Guerrero and Alfred Nevarez had three hits each and Andy Kapuscinski had two hits and two runs batted in to lead San Fernando’s 11-hit attack.

Fabian Saucedo, James Purse and Keith Quigley each had three hits and an RBI for Van Nuys (1-11 in league). Van Nuys had 14 hits.

At Granada Hills, Saleem Batarse hit a solo home run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Granada Hills (9-7, 7-5) a 16-15 win over Kennedy (7-5). Trailing 9-3 entering the sixth, Kennedy scored nine runs to take a brief lead. The inning was highlighted by Gino Tagliaferri’s double and grand slam.

Granada Hills came back with six runs in the bottom of the sixth, two coming on a two-out double by Sean Brown, to take a 15-12 lead. Kennedy tied the score in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs on three walks and John Madden’s two-run double. Granada Hills’ 12-hit attack included Jeff Royston’s three hits and Chris Murphy’s two hits and three RBIs.

Jeff Adams (4-4) pitched the first three innings for Granada Hills and allowed only a triple to Vladimir Pajcin, who scored on a throwing error. He was relieved with two outs in the sixth by Murphy after giving up three consecutive hits. Murphy was ineffective and was relieved by Brown, then Adams returned in the seventh to pick up the win.

MARMONTE LEAGUE

Matt Franco hit a two-run home run and had two doubles and three RBIs for Westlake in an 8-3 win at Newbury Park. Right-hander John Chiaramonte, who has been the winning pitcher in Westlake’s last four games, scattered seven hits and struck out three to raise his record to 6-1.

Mike Suarez had two hits and scored two runs, and Mike Campbell had two hits and three RBIs and scored one run for Westlake (13-9-1, 8-2-1), which leads the league by one-half game over Simi Valley.

Tim Bohling had three hits, including a triple, for Newbury Park (9-14-1, 3-7-1).

Steve Conture’s two-out, pinch-hit single in the seventh inning followed Billy Avilla’s two-run single and gave Channel Islands (17-8, 7-4) a 6-5 victory over Royal (11-10-1, 5-6).

Sean Sullivan pitched six innings for Royal and allowed three runs. David Bernstein gave Royal a 3-2 lead in the fifth when he singled home two runs. Dan Presta had two hits for Royal.

Kris Kaelin had two hits and three RBIs, and Joe Sturges had two hits and one RBI, to lead Thousand Oaks (8-13, 5-7) to an 8-7 win at Camarillo. Sophomore right-hander Anthony Gonzales relieved starter Dan Chergey and allowed four hits in 4 innings to pick up his first win.

Camarillo rallied with two out in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits and a walk before Gonzales got Chris Bannon to ground out.

After Friday’s games, Westlake, Simi Valley and Channel Islands are assured of playoff berths.

DEL REY LEAGUE

Crespi (17-5-1, 8-1-1) clinched at least a tie for the league championship with a 5-3 win over Loyola behind Ken Franco’s two hits and three RBIs.

Senior right-hander Greg Connolly scattered eight hits in 6 innings to raise his record to 3-1. Chris Spears relieved Connolly and recorded a strikeout to pick up his third save.

FOOTHILL LEAGUE

Schurr had three hits in the first inning to score its only runs in a 2-1 win over Burroughs at Schurr.

Burroughs pitcher Sean Perry did not allow a hit after giving up a single to the leadoff batter in the second inning. Perry finished with a four-hitter, allowing four walks while striking out one. Burroughs (8-13, 3-10) scored its only run in the fifth when Kevin Johnson singled in Bobby Niers.

Right-hander David Lee threw a one-hit shutout in leading Hart (18-6, 10-3) to a 7-0 win at San Gabriel (3-10). Lee combined a newly learned slider with a fastball and curve to allow only a first-inning single. Lee (10-1) walked just one and struck out four.

Hart took control with a four-run third. Casey Burrill and Donny Hinson had RBI singles in the inning.

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Richard Mendez hit a bases-loaded triple in the third inning, then scored on an error by third baseman Jai Eller to lead Santa Clara over Agoura, 5-1, at Santa Clara.

Agoura scored its only run when Sean McKenna doubled home Ryan Dietz from second in the sixth inning. McKenna and Jeff Ritter had two hits each for Agoura (6-11, 3-8).

SANTA FE LEAGUE

Jimmy Ardel singled in two runs to give Harvard (10-8, 7-5) a 6-5, nine-inning victory over Chaminade (6-6). Harvard’s Brandon Willenberg singled with one out in the ninth. Charles Patton, a pinch-runner for Willenberg, took second and third on consecutive wild pitches by Chaminade pitcher Pat Kelly before Ardel’s two-out single.

Kelly allowed 10 hits, 6 earned runs and struck out 3. Harvard’s David Lee (3-1) pitched 3 innings of shutout relief. Harvard’s Marty Holly had two hits and three RBIs, including a solo home run.

Bell-Jeff (9-13, 8-4) committed eight errors to hand La Salle (12-0 in league) a 7-2 victory at Bell-Jeff. All of La Salle’s runs were unearned. Bell-Jeff’s Tom Ressler pitched a complete game, surrendering six hits and striking out three. Bell-Jeff rallied in the sixth, scoring once, but left two runners on base.

ALPHA LEAGUE

Jeff Light pitched a no-hitter as Montclair Prep demolished La Verne Lutheran, 23-0. The game was called after five innings at La Verne’s request because it ran out of pitchers. Montclair Prep’s Keeyan Cook knocked in five runs with a double, triple and home run. Frank Charles had three hits and three RBIs for Montclair Prep (18-4, 11-1).

Chris Dyck had two hits and three RBIs for Village Christian in a 9-8 win over Western Christian. Dyck hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie the score, 8-8. In the same inning, Jordan Nedeff scored the winning run when catcher Jim Horn made a throwing error attempting to pick off Nedeff at third. Western Christian (6-12, 4-8) scored eight unearned runs in the fifth inning on three errors by Village Christian.

Senior Erik Broberg, who hasn’t pitched since early March because of a sore arm, pitched a complete game with six strikeouts to lead L.A. Baptist (9-8, 6-6) to a 13-1 win over Marshall Fundamental (5-13, 2-8). Kirk Peterson had three hits, five RBIs and two home runs for L.A. Baptist. Catcher Gary Guy added three hits, two RBIs and two stolen bases. L.A. Baptist had 14 hits. Broberg (2-0) did not walk a batter and allowed only five hits.

TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE

Carpinteria proved it isn’t always necessary to score more runs than the opponent to win.

With the score 1-1 in the sixth, Oak Park’s Gary Silverman hit a bases-loaded, two-out single that enabled two runners to score. Scott Ziegler also tried to score from first, but slid hard into the catcher and was thrown out of the game. Oak Park (7-8, 5-6) which suited up only 12 players, had used all of its substitutes, so the umpires forfeited the game to Carpinteria.