American Legion Baseball : Sun Valley Overcomes 6-Run Deficit to Win

For two-time defending District 20 champion Van Nuys-Notre Dame, it was another discouraging setback Saturday in what has been a rocky road in a three-peat attempt.

Sun Valley rallied from a six-run deficit, scoring 10 runs in the final two innings, to defeat Van Nuys-Notre Dame, 13-12, in an Eastern Division game at Notre Dame High.

Van Nuys-Notre Dame (7-9) blew a 9-3 lead it had established after five innings, then nearly stole the game back in the bottom of the ninth. A two-run rally cut Sun Valley’s lead to one, then, with the bases loaded and two out, Steve Martinez hit a high chopper into the hole at short. Eddie Chavez fielded the ball, however, and managed to nip Martinez at first.

“It was do or die all the way,” Van Nuys Notre Dame Coach Jody Breeden said. “If he makes a bad throw, we score at least two runs and we win. As soon as he let go of it I thought, ‘Oh, no, this stuff can’t happen to us again.’ And it did.”

Chavez did more than save the game; he saved himself. He was on the mound and became the winning pitcher for Sun Valley (10-7) when it posted six runs in the eighth to tie the score, 9-9, and four runs in the ninth to take a 13-9 lead.

German Miranda’s two-run double with the bases loaded sparked the eighth-inning rally. James Campbell, Herman Murillo, Robert Flores and Frank Aguirre also doubled for Sun Valley.

Kevin Milligan and Jon Beauchemin homered in the third to give Van Nuys-Notre Dame a 4-1 lead. Milligan, who also doubled, had six runs batted in.

There were 27 walks, 14 issued by Van Nuys-Notre Dame.

In other District 20 games:

Panorama City 7, North Hollywood 3--Panorama City scored six runs in the fourth inning of an Eastern Division game at North Hollywood.

In the fourth, Joe Cascione hit a leadoff double off Steve Sobisky (2-4). Adam Clark’s double scored Cascione and Tim Costic walked. Herman Merchan followed with a single to score Clark, and, two outs later, Roland De La Maza’s double scored Costic and Merchan.

Dave Garcia and Shane Wight added back-to-back doubles to account for the fifth and sixth runs.

In his first Legion appearance of the summer, Costic homered for Panorama City (13-4) in the fifth.

Marc Williams was three for four for North Hollywood (7-12). Panorama City right-hander Dave Unter scattered eight hits over 8 1/3 innings while improving to 5-0.

Newhall-Saugus 13, Quartz Hill 3--Oscar Silva struck out five and held Quartz Hill to three hits before leaving in the fifth inning with a blister on his throwing hand in a Northern Division game at Quartz Hill High.

Brad Anderson, who had three hits, including an RBI double in the first and a two-run home run in the fourth, helped pace the 12-hit Newhall-Saugus barrage. Teammate Corey Byars also had three hits, including a solo home run in the fifth. The game was called after seven innings when the lead reached 10 runs.

Silva (2-0), a right-hander, will be a junior at Canyon High. Newhall-Saugus improved to 14-3.

Woodland Hills East d. Foothill Valley (forfeit)--Woodland Hills East was awarded the win after Foothill Valley failed to show for the game at Taft High. Woodland Hills East’s record is 10-6.