West Advances to Legion World Series

Because Woodland Hills West outfielder Carl McFadden played the role of the Big Bopper in the championship game of the American Legion Northwest regional tournament, his team will have a chance to visit another late, great legend.

“It’s on to Graceland to see if Elvis is really alive,” McFadden quipped after West’s 9-4 win over tournament host Lewis-Clark at Lewis Clark State College on Sunday night.

One thing is for sure, West is still alive after McFadden banged out his second grand slam of the tournament to give West a berth in the national tournament. West will open play in the World Series in Middleton, Tenn., a suburb of Memphis, on Wednesday. The event is an eight-team, double-elimination affair, identical to the Northwest regional format in which West (34-6) finished 4-1 and scored 46 runs.

Leading, 2-1, in the top of the fourth, West got plenty of mileage--and a ton of distance--out of one hit. West scored seven runs, keyed by McFadden’s grand slam, his fifth home run of the season.

Pitcher Lance Gibson led off with a walk, one of five West would receive in the inning. Ricky Banuelos walked and Paul Geller reached base when, after laying down a bunt, Gibson beat a force-out attempt at third to load the bases.

Ryan McGuire drove in Gibson with a sacrifice fly to left. Marine walked to reload the bases and Lewis-Clark starter Chad Richardson walked Jason Cohen to force in a run to make it 4-1 and prompt Richardson’s exit.

Reliever Scott Rigney didn’t fare much better. He walked Bobby Kim on five pitches to force in another run, then grooved a 2-1 fastball to McFadden, who sent a line drive over the 360-foot sign on the fence in left for a 9-1 lead.

“He threw me a fastball on 1-and-0 and he got it by me,” McFadden said. “I think he thought he could do it again.”

Gibson (12-2) wobbled a few times after he was handed the eight-run lead, but managed to chalk up the big out when he needed it.

Lewis-Clark (48-26) stranded six batters in the fourth through seventh innings, managing just three runs in that span on seven hits.

Gibson allowed four runs, all earned, on 10 hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out seven. Right-hander Pat Treend relieved and pitched two scoreless innings--striking out the side in the ninth--to close out the win.