High School Baseball : Nealon’s Shutout Keeps Poly Perfect in League

Poly High’s Greg Nealon continued to baffle East Valley League batters, pitching a two-hitter Monday to lead the Parrots to a 7-0 victory over North Hollywood at Poly.

Nealon, an All-City Section left-hander, walked 2 and had 10 strikeouts. He has allowed only 1 earned run in 26 innings and has pitched 16 consecutive shutout innings.

“He’s getting stronger and he’s really hitting great locations,” Poly Coach Jerry Cord said. “That’s two good games in a row for him.”

Nealon (4-0), who beat Sylmar and All-City pitcher Olonzo Woodfin, 1-0, last Monday, allowed a single to the game’s first batter and another with one out in the fifth.

Luis Garcia and Luis Porres had three hits each for the Parrots (6-0 overall and in league play). North Hollywood, which had won two in a row, is 3-3.

Sylmar 9, Grant 1--Senior catcher Tony Branson hit a grand slam to cap a seven-run fifth inning for Sylmar in the East Valley League game at Sylmar.

Senior left-hander Olonzo Woodfin (3-1) allowed three singles, struck out seven and walked two.

“He pitched well and did what he had to do to win,” Sylmar Coach John Klitsner said. “He wasn’t trying to overpower people. He just let them hit the ball and let our people make the plays.”

Sylmar had a 1-0 lead before scoring seven runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth. After Sylmar scored an unearned run to start the fifth inning, Donnie Kelley singled home a run and Martin Valencia hit a sacrifice fly. After the Spartans loaded the bases, Branson hit his second home run of the season.

Crossroads 10, Harvard 6--Despite scoring four runs in the sixth inning without a hit, Harvard fell short in a nonleague home game.

Senior center fielder Charles Patton had two doubles and a triple for Harvard (3-5), which scored its sixth-inning runs on five walks, a hit batter and two errors. Crossroads (4-5) scored seven unearned runs on three Harvard errors.