West Fights Back Into Contention : American Legion: Defending champion, working its way through the losers’ bracket, advances to 6th Area finals.

After a first-round loss to Claremont, Woodland Hills West was faced with having to win five games in a row if it was to capture its second successive American Legion 6th Area championship and earn a berth in the state playoffs.

And now, a determined survivor working its way through the one-more-loss-and-you’re-out losers’ bracket, West is only two games away from another trip to Yountville.

West snapped back to defeat Santa Monica in the second round Friday, then took a doubleheader Saturday, defeating Culver City, 11-5, and Conejo Valley, 13-8, at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium to claim a berth in today’s championship finals against Claremont.

Claremont, which is undefeated in the double-elimination tournament, advanced with victories in the first two rounds. Should West win the 9 a.m. game today, a second game will be played at 3 p.m. to determine the championship. Claremont (38-9) won the 6th Area title in 1988.

“We’re confident,” West Coach Don Hornback said. “We’re really on a roll now. We’re really hitting the ball. It would take a supreme pitching effort to stop our bats tomorrow.”

The statistics lend credence to Hornback’s boast. West (26-5) combined for 34 hits in both games Saturday and shelled Santa Monica for 16 on Friday, bringing West’s 6th Area playoff total to 63 hits in four games.

“What can you say about Woodland Hills? They hit the ball,” Conejo Valley Coach Craig Sturges said. “You throw it high, they hit it; you throw it low, they hit it; you throw it behind them, they hit it.”

West cleanup hitter Jason Cohen and No. 5 hitter Bobby Kim connected often. Cohen, after going two for three against Culver City, ripped Conejo Valley pitchers Bryan Corey and Nick Brown for four hits in five at-bats and knocked in two runs, pushing his tournament RBI total to 11.

Kim collected three hits in four trips to the plate and drew a walk in each game. He finished with four RBIs.

Kim, a catcher who played at El Camino Real High in the spring, said that after the Conquistadores’ disappointing loss to Chatsworth in the City Section 4-A Division title game at Dodger Stadium, baseball didn’t seem as much fun any more . . . until now.

“I told the guys after (we lost at( at Dodger Stadium, I didn’t think baseball was fun any more,” Kim said. “How many times in your life can you play in Dodger Stadium?”

Now, Kim & Co. are on Cloud 9.

“Now that we’re here at UCLA, it’s just great,” Kim said.

West also got solid performances from pitchers Corey Bromberg (6-1) and Terry Morrow (4-0).

Against Culver City (13-3) Bromberg went the distance, striking out five while allowing 10 hits and three earned runs. Morrow, making his first appearance as a position player in six weeks after suffering a shoulder injury, surrendered 12 hits and had five strikeouts against Conejo Valley through 8 1/3 innings. He yielded to Paul Geller in the ninth.

Conejo Valley (24-11) was sparked by Brian Sturges. Sturges went three for three, including two doubles and five RBIs.