Motivated Woodland Hills West Romps

Ah, incentives. Let us count the ways these personal inducements affected Woodland Hills West in its 11-3 pasting Friday of Panorama City in an American Legion District 20 championship-bracket playoff game at Birmingham High.

First, we had West right-hander Lance Gibson, who was gunning for his 20th career Legion victory. Not a bad objective to have as the playoffs roll around.

Second, there was shortstop Ricky Banuelos, who was ejected from a second-round game Thursday for throwing a bat--and not at a baseball. Not a personal highlight.

Third, there was the ever-popular championship bye in today’s round, which goes to the team that starts the double-elimination tournament with a 3-0 record. In other words, West gets to sit in lawn chairs today, sip a few cold ones and watch three other teams fight sunburn and smog as they burn even more of their own pitching.

Previous embarrassment is always good for an extra kick in the double-knits, too. Last season, West was the top-seeded team in the playoffs but was eliminated in four games.

Factor in poor offensive outings in its first two playoff games and top-seeded West had all the edge it needed to pound three different Panorama City pitchers for 13 hits. West (22-3) now advances to Sunday’s play. It would have to lose twice to blow a berth in the 6th Area playoffs, which begin next week at Birmingham.

“Now the pressure’s on the other teams to come back,” said Gibson, who threw a six-hitter, improved to 7-1 and became only the second District 20 pitcher this decade to win 20 games. “We haven’t been swept in a doubleheader all year, and now every other team has to win three in a row.”

Second-seeded Panorama City (19-5) will play the winner of today’s 11 a.m. game between Newhall-Saugus and Woodland Hills East today at 3 p.m. All three teams are 2-1 in tournament play and would have to beat West twice on Sunday for the title.

West pummeled Panorama City right-hander Dave Unter (5-1) for nine earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, after he had allowed just 12 earned runs in 48 1/3 innings all year.

West scored three times in the first inning, once in the second and once in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Panorama City, however, made its one big run at Gibson in the fifth.

With a runner aboard and West leading, 5-2, West center fielder Carl McFadden fought off the sun to rob Shane Wight with a two-out, diving catch at the fence in left-center, saving at least one run. With West’s offense scoring four times in the fifth to take a 9-2 lead, it was all over.

“I told (McFadden) I was glad he followed it all the way,” said Gibson, who struck out nine and walked four. “That was a spectacular play.”

Once again, Banuelos threw the bat around, but this time, he did it in the batter’s box. Banuelos was four for five, drove in two runs and scored two more. He was one of six West starters to drive in at least one run.

“I came out here to redeem myself,” Banuelos said.

A catchy team theme, or what?