Van Nuys Notches 3-1 Legion Victory Over Faltering East

Oscar Macias had Woodland Hills East batters biting on off-speed pitches, and his Van Nuys-Notre Dame teammates helped him reel front-running East back toward the pack in its division.

“I had them scouted,” Van Nuys Coach Jody Breeden said. “Their two-three-four players, if you get two strikes on them, they go fishing for the off-speed stuff, and that’s the kind of pitcher (Macias) is.”

Macias allowed seven singles in 8 2/3 innings, and East’s two-through-four hitters finished a cumulative one for 11 in a 3-1 loss in American Legion District 20 play Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame High.

East (15-4), which rocketed out of the blocks with a 14-1 record, lost for the third time this week and now holds a mere half-game lead over Woodland Hills West in the Western Division with one week remaining in the regular season.

Van Nuys (11-6), which competes in the Eastern Division, improved its playoff chances considerably with the win.

“We’re coming up with big wins over good teams,” said outfielder Chris Prince, who finished three for four and drove in all three Van Nuys runs.

Prince drove in the game’s first run in the bottom of the first when he hit a chopper up the middle that glanced off second baseman Matt Allison’s glove and scored Eric Martorano from third.

East didn’t manage a hit until the third inning but tied the score in the fourth. Carey Wilbur drove in Jamie Zeichick with a two-out infield single. Eric Rothman followed with a single but was thrown out stealing to end the threat.

The score was still tied, 1-1, in the bottom of the seventh before Van Nuys loaded the bases on three consecutive singles. Cleanup hitter Prince then lashed a two-run single over second base to close out the scoring.

“The infield was playing in and I just got a fastball up and took it over the middle,” said Prince, who said he has been tinkering with his stroke all summer. “I’ve been changing my hands around a lot. Now, I’m just holding my hands up, and it’s keeping me from popping up.”

Macias said he also is looking to round back into form after being unable to pitch much of the spring because of shoulder tendinitis.

“This is kind of like a comeback situation for me,” said Macias. He threw a variety of curves and changeups, “anything that would keep them off balance at the plate.”

The right-handed Macias (4-0) retired East on four pitches in both the first and seventh innings. He walked three and struck out three before yielding to reliever Eric Vellozzi with two on and two out in the ninth. Vellozzi retired the first man he faced to earn the save.

East’s Chris Brown (7-3) struck out eight and walked three in eight innings. He allowed three hits in the first and four in the seventh but only two in the other six innings.

Martorano, who moved from the eighth spot to leadoff, scored twice and had two singles for Van Nuys.

Rothman, with two singles, was the only East player with more than one hit.