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McGuire Survives Life in the Wild : Baseball: El Camino Real pitcher walks nine in 5 1/3 innings but earns a 6-2 win over Chatsworth.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

El Camino Real High left-hander Ryan McGuire, who had a no-hitter through five innings of a West Valley League baseball game against Chatsworth on Tuesday, felt a little sorry for the opposition.

McGuire, also a fair hitter, admitted that he would not have wanted to face Ryan McGuire on Tuesday either.

“I probably would have hit myself,” he said. “It’s kind of tough to hit a pitcher who throws four balls, one strike, four more balls, another strike.

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“That’s why they didn’t have many hits.”

Wild or not, McGuire held Chatsworth to two hits over 5 1/3 innings to lead El Camino Real to a 6-2 win at Chatsworth. McGuire, making his first start of the season, struck out eight and walked nine.

“I couldn’t find the strike zone,” he said. “It was awful.”

That’s overstated, perhaps, because it was definitely more of a hardship on Chatsworth. Through five innings, the Chancellors (5-2, 1-1 in league play) hit one ball out of the infield--a fly ball to right by Soly Maya in the second.

Yet El Camino Real (2-0) was having trouble of its own with right-hander Reed McMackin, who did not allow a hit through three innings. McMackin (2-1) was victimized by poor defense when El Camino Real broke through for five runs in the fifth.

Mike Voss led off with a walk and moved to third when Chris Castillo’s sacrifice bunt was thrown away by Chatsworth third baseman Adam Pearlman for an error. One out later, Jeff Marks appeared to have made a critical error when he missed a sign for a squeeze bunt and Voss was picked off third for the second out.

But Marks came through with a ringing triple to right-center field, driving in Castillo.

“Jeff’s a little guy,” McGuire said of the 5-foot-8 outfielder. “But he has the biggest heart on the team.”

Marks scored on McGuire’s single--the UCLA-bound senior has six runs batted in in two games--for a 2-0 lead. Bobby Kim walked to chase McMackin, who grudgingly moved to first base after he slammed his fielder’s glove into the screen behind the Chatsworth dugout.

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Left-hander Dennis Emslie relieved and surrendered a walk to Jason Cohen to load the bases. Greg Lederman, who like Marks had two hits, followed with a looping single to center, driving in McGuire and Kim. Gregg Sheren finished the rally with a run-scoring single to left to drive in Cohen.

McGuire (1-0), who pitched out of the stretch position even when no runners were on base, walked two or more batters in an inning three times. Chatsworth stranded 10 baserunners, seven in the last three innings.

“I think maybe he was trying to be too fine,” El Camino Real Coach Mike Maio said of McGuire. “It was just his first time out. He’ll be OK.”

Chatsworth’s cleanup hitter, Nestor Martinez, slammed the door on McGuire’s no-hit bid with a double to right to open the sixth. McMackin followed with a bunt single, and, one out later, Terry Powell walked to load the bases.

Right-hander Pat Treend relieved and retired Maya on a run-scoring grounder to third, then struck out sophomore Doug Dean on a 3-and-2 fastball. Treend allowed an unearned run in the seventh on an RBI single by McMackin.

Treend, who like McGuire is a hard-throwing, redheaded senior, pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to earn a save. McGuire and Treend combined to strike out 10 batters and hold Chatsworth to three hits, one a bunt single.

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Red heat?

Hardly, said McGuire, who reiterated that his performance was less than sterling.

“Make it red meat,” he said.

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