HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL : Poly Squeaks Past Sylmar in East Valley Opener

Two teams that played three-one run games against each other last season met again Wednesday in an East Valley League opener. After three hours, the setting of the sun and another one-run decision, what do you have?

“Typical Sylmar-Poly,” Sylmar Coach Gary Donatella said.

In a game pitting the top two league title contenders against each other, Poly emerged with a 7-6 victory at Sylmar. The game was called because of darkness after six innings.

That the game came down to one run was to Sylmar’s credit. Poly forged an early 5-1 lead in the third inning when Rodrigo Dorame (three runs batted in) hit a two-run home run off loser James Encinas (1-1).

In the fourth inning, Poly’s Gabe Chavez (three RBIs) increased the lead to 6-1 with a single that scored Roy Lozano, who had two hits and scored two runs for the Parrots (3-2).

Sylmar (2-2) then jumped on eventual winner Eddie Castellanos (3-0) for three runs in the bottom of the fourth as David Romero and Billy Garcia rapped run-scoring singles and Robert Garcia hit a sacrifice fly.

Trailing, 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Sylmar again stormed back. Ben Soliz knocked out an RBI single and pinch-hitter Pat Garcia had an RBI single. With the score 7-6 and runners on first and third and one out, Encinas looped a ball to Poly second baseman Lozano, who speared it and doubled off Garcia to end the inning.

Poly, which had stranded 43 runners in its previous four games, left the bases loaded in each of the final four innings.