Holt-Goodman Baseball Tournament : Wallace Leads Chatsworth Into Championship Game

It was during the Holt-Goodman baseball tournament exactly two seasons ago that Chatsworth High Coach Bob Lofrano learned that Derek Wallace was more than just another utility infielder, more than just someone to round out a roster.

An ineligible player left the Chancellors short-handed and forced Lofrano to ask for, well, a show of hands. And for the first time all season, Wallace stepped forth and gave his sales pitch.

“It’s kind of funny,” Lofrano said. “He hadn’t said much of anything all year, but when we needed somebody, he said he could do it. We didn’t even really know he could throw.”

They do now.

Wallace improved his two-year pitching mark to 14-0 with a 12-3 win over Monroe in a championship semifinal of the 1989 Holt-Goodman tournament at Birmingham on Monday.

Wallace, a senior right-hander, allowed a double and single to lead off the game, but only two hits thereafter as Chatsworth advanced to the tournament final. Chatsworth (14-2), which won its 13th in a row after a 1-2 start, will play Sylmar today at 2:30 p.m. at Birmingham for the title.

Wallace (7-0), who will attend Pepperdine in the fall, struck out seven and walked none. Monroe led, 2-0, after three innings, but Chatsworth buried the defending City Section champion with an eight-run third.

Eric Johnson and Vince Simili had two-run singles off Monroe right-hander Adam Clark to key the Chatsworth rally. Johnson and Simili both finished with three runs batted in. Johnson, Rich Aude and Kevin Chong each had two hits.

Monroe fell to 8-3 and will play Grant in the third-place game today at Chatsworth at 11 a.m.

In other tournament games:

Sylmar 10, Grant 0--The Spartans (9-2) earned a date with Chatsworth in the championship game by routing their East Valley League opponents with a nine-hit attack in a championship semifinal game at Birmingham.

Senior left-hander Tom Ball (4-0) stopped the Lancers on four hits while striking out six and walking none. Ball allowed only one runner to reach third base.

Sylmar scored four times on three hits in the first inning. Jose Gallegos and Bruce Gomez both scored on passed balls, and Joe Contreraz doubled to score Brad McGahan. London Woodfin later scored on an error.

In the fourth, Woodfin hit a solo home run to give Sylmar a 7-0 lead.

Steve Pelote (0-1), who was chased in the third, suffered the loss as Grant dropped to 8-3.

Poly 4, Kennedy 2--Junior right-hander David Giatti threw a six-hitter, struck out seven, walked none and allowed one earned run in an upset at Kennedy.

Giatti (4-0), who started the season as a reliever, allowed a run in the second and an unearned run in the sixth.

With the score tied, 1-1, in the sixth, Poly left-fielder Eddie Chavez launched a three-run home run to center off Kennedy junior left-hander Denny Sharp (5-1), who threw a seven-hitter. It was Chavez’s sixth home run of the season and gave him 23 RBIs.

Senior shortstop Gino Tagliaferri had the lone extra-base hit for Kennedy (12-4), a double. Poly will play at San Fernando for fifth place at 11 a.m.

San Fernando 14, Taft 2--After allowing two runs on four hits in the first inning, San Fernando junior left-hander Hector De La Cruz (4-0) scattered four hits through the next five innings at Kennedy.

San Fernando catcher Rudy Sanchez was two for three and lined a game-tying two-run home run to left in the third. Edwin Rivera had a bases-loaded single to drive in two runs to highlight a five-run fifth.

The Tiger defense turned three double plays behind De La Cruz, who struck out seven and walked three. San Fernando first baseman Andrew Munoz was three for four with a double.

San Fernando (10-3-1) plays Poly for fifth place today at 11 a.m. at San Fernando.

Granada Hills 6, Venice 2--Junior left-hander Gabe Miller threw a perfect game for 4 2/3 innings for the Highlanders, who won their second consecutive game after an 0-9 start. Granada Hills plays Birmingham for the consolation title at Birmingham at 11 a.m. today.

Miller (1-2), who walked none and struck out three, surrendered a two-out single in the fifth to break the streak.

Third baseman Glenn Hoppe was two for three for Granada Hills (2-9), which took advantage of five Venice errors.

Birmingham 3, Cleveland 1--Junior right-hander Josh Brown pitched a four-hitter at Monroe to lead the Braves into the consolation final against Granada Hills.

Brown (1-0) struck out six, walked three and held the Cavaliers scoreless for six innings.

Birmingham (4-7) scored twice in the first inning when Danny Larson singled to drive in Justin Bass and Ruben Flores. The Braves added a run in the sixth when Bob Bookatz tripled and later scored on an error.

Cleveland junior right-hander Bobby McRae (1-2) developed a sore shoulder and yielded to reliever Mario Valencia in the fourth. Cleveland (4-6-1) scored a run in the seventh when Brian Basowski singled to score James Molinelli.

Westchester 4, Verdugo Hills 2--Trailing, 4-2, Verdugo Hills rallied for two runs in the sixth, but fell short at Granada Hills.

Luis Rodriguez singled in a run and another scored on an error to cut the Westchester lead to 4-2, but Verdugo Hills (5-8), which managed only three hits, did not score in the seventh.

Rodriguez (0-1), a senior right-hander, took the loss despite throwing a six-hitter.