City Section Baseball : Cleveland Fells League Leader With 4-2 Win

Cleveland High might be out of the running for the North Valley League title, but the Cavaliers could play a big role in determining the champion.

They defeated league-leading Kennedy, 4-2, at Cleveland on Tuesday and will play second-place San Fernando in the regular-season finale next Tuesday.

Bobby McRae (2-5) held the Golden Cougars (17-7, 11-4 in league play) to six hits, struck out five and walked two.

The loss--coupled with San Fernando’s victory over Granada Hills--trimmed the Kennedy lead to a half-game with two games left.

Cleveland (6-12-1, 4-10-1) scored its first run on James Molinelli’s run-scoring double, went ahead, 2-1, on a Kennedy error and took a 3-1 lead on Bill Wickert’s single, all in the first inning.

Pat Bryant singled in Sean Burwell--who had tripled--for Cleveland’s final run in the sixth.

In another North Valley game:

San Fernando 4, Granada Hills 3--Frank Serna (7-3) scattered eight hits, struck out one and walked one as the Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak.

San Fernando (16-5-1, 10-4-1) broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth when Rudy Sanchez doubled home his younger brother, Richard Sanchez, and Richard Avalos.

Avalos had three hits and Rudy Sanchez added two for San Fernando.

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

El Camino Real 10, Canoga Park 5--Ryan McGuire, Gregg Sheren and Donny Chelius each had two hits as the Conquistadores rolled to their seventh consecutive victory in the game at Lanark Park.

Patrick Treend (4-3) scattered 11 hits, struck out eight, walked three and hit a batter in recording his fourth complete-game victory.

Despite the win, El Camino Real (8-7) trails Chatsworth and Taft by three games in the league standings.

Tony Vanstrahul and Freddy Gallegos each had two hits for Canoga Park (3-12).

MID-VALLEY LEAGUE

Van Nuys 4, Monroe 3--Keith Quigley pitched a two-hitter as Van Nuys moved into a first-place tie with Monroe in the league standings.

Quigley (5-2) struck out seven and did not walk a batter in the game at Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park. After giving up three unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning, Van Nuys (7-8,7-8) scored four runs in the bottom of the inning.

EAST VALLEY LEAGUE

Sylmar 8, North Hollywood 4--Bruce Gomez doubled twice and had two RBIs and senior right-hander Nino Romo (8-3) picked up a complete-game victory for Sylmar, which leads Grant by 1 1/2 games and Poly by two in the league standings.

Phillip Moreno and Eric Hinojosa each had two hits to lead Sylmar (16-3, 13-2).

NORTHEAST LEAGUE

Verdugo Hills 8, Eagle Rock 0--Masaaki Yamashita pitched a four-hitter and struck out eight for the Dons in the game at Yosemite Park. Kevin Golding had three hits, an RBI and scored a run for Verdugo Hills (12-10, 9-6).