Birmingham Stops Sylmar in Marathon

Shadows crept across Ramirez Field at Birmingham High on Friday as afternoon turned to early evening, and early evening turned to dusk.

And still the teams played. Birmingham and Sylmar waged a war of wills in a first-round City Section 4-A Division playoff game that spanned nine innings and more than 4 1/2 hours.

Finally, Birmingham third baseman Ruben Flores, with no out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, unexpectedly dropped a squeeze bunt on an 0-2 pitch from sophomore Jimmy Lemos (2-1). As the ball rolled to the right of the mound, Bob Bookatz scored from third base to record the game’s 27th and final run and give the Braves a 14-13 win.

“I’m elated,” Birmingham Coach Wayne Sink said, dripping wet from an impromptu ice-water shower, courtesy of his players. “What can I say?”

He was elated because his team came back from a 12-5, fifth-inning deficit with three runs in the fifth and five in the sixth. Elated because junior Noah Kirshbaum (3-0), in only his third pitching appearance of the year, held Sylmar’s big bats to six hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings of relief.

And elated because Birmingham’s season--at 19-6-1 the best in Sink’s 13-year tenure--will continue Wednesday in the quarterfinals at El Camino Real, which defeated North Hollywood on Friday, 6-1.

“I’m numb,” Sylmar Coach Gary Donatella said. “I’m drained.”

Drained because his players had come back from a 4-0 deficit with a nine-run second, only to lose. Drained because Sylmar (16-10), trailing, 13-12, in the seventh inning, tied the score on a bases-loaded walk to James Encinas that forced extra innings, only to lose.

“But that’s the playoffs,” Donatella said. “Kids rise to the occasion.”

Kirshbaum bailed himself out in the seventh, shutting down Sylmar after he walked in the tying run with the bases full.

“I was freaked,” Kirshbaum admitted. “I was scared, obviously.”

Earlier in the inning, he induced Dereck Ornelas (three hits, three runs) into a force out with none out and runners at first and second.

After London Woodfin singled to load the bases, Kirshbaum walked Encinas to tie the score but then retired Ben Soliz and Pat Garcia on weak grounders to end the threat.

Flores led Birmingham with a game-high four runs batted in, and Bookatz, who scored the winning run after he tripled to lead off the ninth, had three hits and scored three runs. Danny Larson had two hits and three runs, and Mike Malkin added two hits.

Woodfin had three hits and three RBIs to lead Sylmar.