Notebook : Buena’s Climb Comes to End in Loss to Hart

Buena High finally got caught playing mediocre baseball during its climb through the Southern Section 4-A Division playoffs.

Coach Stan Hedegard knew the top-seeded Bulldogs had to play with more intensity despite four-run victories over Valencia and Lompoc in preliminary games.

“We had two playoff wins and we didn’t play well in either one of them,” Hedegard said. “I thought it was just a phase we were going through and we would snap out of it against Hart.”

Hart caught Buena napping and took a 5-1 lead after two innings en route to a 10-7 victory Friday.

Matt Anderson, who had given up only 11 earned runs in 51 1/3 innings, allowed five runs before leaving after two innings against Hart. Anderson, a senior left-hander who will attend Cal State Northridge next year, had been bothered by a sore elbow.

“Your arm hurts a little more when you don’t get any support,” Hedegard said. “You can work out a sore shoulder, but you have to be careful with elbows. I just decided to shelf it. I didn’t want to ruin his career for one game.”

Add Buena: Hedegard checked with former Buena coaches and determined the Bulldogs (20-3-2) set a school record for fewest losses in a season. The Bulldogs had played 21 consecutive games without a loss prior to Friday.

Waiting game: Fillmore Coach Tom Ecklund waits until 10 minutes remain before the start of his playoff games before selecting either Brad Edmonds or Bill Alonzo as his starting pitcher.

“I don’t want anyone pitching with a sore arm,” Ecklund said. “I watch them warm up and ask them how they feel. I expect an honest answer. I know they both want to pitch.”

Edmonds earned the starting assignment in all three playoff games. The senior right-hander had allowed two earned runs on nine hits and five walks in 12 innings before a complete-game win Tuesday over Aquinas.

Power shortage: Former Simi Valley High slugger Scott Sharts doesn’t have to worry about his home run record being broken for at least another year. Sharts--now playing at the University of Miami--hit 32 home runs between 1986 and 1988 to set a Southern Section career record.

Dan Melendez of St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey posed a threat after hitting his 29th and 30th home runs on April 26. Melendez, however, managed only one home run in the final eight games and fell one short of the record.

Melendez’s pursuit ended last Friday when San Marino beat St. Bernard, 7-3, in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 2-A Division playoffs.

One-girl rotation: St. Bonaventure junior right-hander Kathy Morales pitched 36 innings in four playoff games, including a five-hitter in a 5-1 loss to Big Bear in a semifinal Tuesday.

Last Wednesday, Morales (15-3) pitched 15 innings and hit a solo home run to beat Westridge, 1-0. She then pitched a one-hitter to beat Azusa, 12-2, on Friday.

Baseball camp: Coach Gary Anglin of Ventura College will stage a baseball camp for youngsters aged 7-15. The camp opens June 19 at Ventura College.

The camp will run four weeks throughout June and July. Registration is available for either one week or all four weeks of the camp. Anglin is accepting 50 applicants for each week of the camp.

Former UCLA Coach Art Reichle will assist Anglin in teaching the fundamentals of hitting, fielding and pitching. The camp will also run June 26-30 and July 10-14 and 17-21. Information: 805-654-6459.