SUMMER BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Smith Propels Panorama City to 3-2 Victory

Josh Smith hit a bases-loaded single in the eighth inning to score Fran Espinosa and lift Panorama City to a 3-2 victory over North Hollywood in an American Legion District 20 Eastern Division baseball game Wednesday at Monroe High.

Panorama City’s Shad Ortiz walked to lead off the eighth and was replaced by pinch-runner Espinosa, who advanced on Roland De La Maza’s bunt. John Langley hit an infield single and Colyn Van Buren was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up the game-winning hit.

With his team trailing, 1-0, in the sixth, De La Maza drove in Sean Henson. Later, Van Buren was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give Panorama City (9-2) a 2-1 edge. It was the sixth time this season Van Buren has been hit by a pitch.

North Hollywood’s Harry Marks scored in the seventh to forge a 2-2 tie.

David Unter (4-1), who struck out 12 in a game against North Hollywood on June 5, did not record a strikeout Wednesday. Unter, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, held North Hollywood (1-10) to four hits to record the complete-game victory.

In other American Legion games:

Sun Valley 7, Valley ET 2--Marlon McKinney tossed a three-hitter in notching his second win against no defeats in a District 20 Eastern Division game at Poly High.

McKinney walked three and struck out three. He also drove in two runs.

Sun Valley (7-1) scored four runs off Valley ET starter Jason Mansfield in the first inning. Roy Lozano hit a two-run single and Robert Aros followed with a single that scored two runs, including one on an errant throw. Jonathan Campbell scored two runs for the winners and Lozano had two hits in three at-bats.

Las Virgenes 6, Encino-Crespi 3--Paul Schaffer continued to pound the ball for Las Virgenes (6-5) in a District 20 Western Division game at Calabasas High.

Schaffer, hitting .450, had three hits, including two doubles.

Studio City 8, San Fernando 3--Lorenzo Morales and Mike Engler had three hits each, pacing a season-high 15-hit barrage for Studio City in a District 20 Northern Division game at San Fernando High.

Conejo Valley 5, Camarillo 4--Adam West’s relay throw to catcher David Skeels caught a Camarillo baserunner at the plate to blunt a two-run Camarillo rally in the bottom of the seventh and end the District 16 game. Conejo Valley (11-4) scored all of its runs in the first inning. Brett Christenson stroked a three-run double and Bryan Corey added a two-run double.

GOODMAN COLLEGIATE LEAGUE

Woodland Hills Astros 4, Valley Rangers 3--Randy Cooper’s run-scoring single scored Danny McAdoo in the bottom of the eighth inning at Pierce College.

Mike Head struck out the last two batters with runners on second and third to earn his first save and make a winner of Eric Raba.