Aparicio’s 5-Hitter in 2nd Game Silences Newhall-Saugus, 4-0

The Newhall-Saugus (Santa Clarita) American Legion baseball team did not like the idea of its lustrous record becoming tarnished Saturday just because four starters were absent.

But after a fast start, offensive production came to a standstill and Newhall-Saugus split a doubleheader with San Fernando in a District 20 doubleheader at Saugus High.

Three Newhall-Saugus players were playing in the Bernie Milligan All-Star game Saturday and another was late after serving school detention. The team overcame the manpower shortage in a 5-1 win in the opener but managed only five singles off left-hander Bobby Aparicio in a 4-0 loss in the second game.

Aparicio, who pitched for San Fernando High in 1987, struck out nine and walked three. Bobby Corrales hit a solo home run in the first inning for San Fernando and John Najar doubled.

Jeff Bodeau pitched a complete game in the second game for Newhall-Saugus, allowing nine hits.

In addition to the missing players, Newhall-Saugus (5-1) is still recovering from its near-disastrous, seven-error effort against Lancaster in a season-opening 6-5 victory.

“I was worried,” Coach Tom Pederson said. “We looked so bad in that first game.”

But the team changed its complexion considerably in the first game of the doubleheader as Roger Salkeld (2-0) struck out eight--all in the first five innings--to earn the complete-game victory. The right-hander scattered five hits and walked two, both in the seventh inning.

Salkeld did not allow a fly ball to the outfield, and the infield saved face, flawlessly handling six ground balls.

Pederson said his team’s errors against Lancaster were all on routine plays on the left side of the infield. His infielders have not made a key mistake since.

San Fernando’s only run came on a wild pitch in the fifth and tied the score, 1-1.

But Brad Anderson’s double and Kevin Backes’ single started a four-run Newhall-Saugus rally in the bottom of the inning.

San Fernando left-hander Hector De La Cruz struck out 11 but threw five wild pitches.