American Legion Baseball Playoffs : Costic Leads Panorama City to Abbreviated 10-0 Win

First baseman Tim Costic had three hits and drove in two runs to lead Panorama City to a 10-0 win over Hollywood in an American Legion Area 6 playoff game at Birmingham High Thursday that was called after seven innings because of the 10-run rule.

Costic, who bats left and was playing in only his third Legion game of the summer because of other baseball commitments, was three for four and gave Panorama City a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single to left in the fourth. In the sixth, when Panorama City scored seven runs, Costic lined another RBI single to left for a 2-0 lead.

“I didn’t see too many inside pitches,” Costic said of his two hits to left field. “I guess they think that because I bat fourth, I’m a power guy. I’m no power guy, I just try to hit that stuff the other way.”

Left-hander Sean Henson (6-3) allowed three singles, walked three and struck out five.

With Panorama City leading, 1-0, in the fifth, right fielder Roland De La Maza preserved Henson’s shutout when he gunned down Francisco Diaz at the plate following a single by Allen Hennings.

Third baseman Joe Chaparro doubled twice and had two RBIs for Panorama City (22-6), which plays Westlake-Agoura today at Birmingham at 12:30 p.m. Herman Merchan and Joe Cascione--who also scored three runs--each had two hits for Panorama City.

In another Area 6 playoff game:

Santa Monica 8, Claremont 7--Santa Monica scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to advance to a second-round game against Woodland Hills West at 4 p.m. at Birmingham.

Claremont faces Hollywood at 9 a.m.