San Fernando Ends Slump With 13-4 Win Over Kennedy

San Fernando High, it seemed, had not been swinging the bats well lately. At least, not to its coach’s satisfaction.

The offense, in a word, was lame.

“We spent a lot of extra time in the cages this week,” Coach Steve Marden said.

For two players in particular, if nicknames count for anything, additional work in the batting cage not only was therapeutic but appropriate.

Jose (Dog) Nunez banged out a pair of hits and Damacio (Bear) Mendoza added three more Thursday to lead San Fernando to a 13-4 rout of host Kennedy in a North Valley League game.

Nunez said the nickname is “just something his teammates stuck him with.” Bear in mind that Mendoza is a 6-foot, 210-pound senior, so the bruin tag seemed rather obvious.

“We have two animals,” Marden said. “A dog and a bear. I feel like a veterinarian--both of them have bad ankles and I tape ‘em both up before every game.”

After Kennedy (4-3, 2-1 in league play) jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on the strength of inside-the-park home runs by Jeff Tagliaferri and Joe Bernas, San Fernando got healthy in a hurry.

The Tigers (5-2, 3-0) hammered Kennedy right-hander Cody Beaumaster for six runs in the third, sending nine batters to the plate. Before the inning was complete, Beaumaster (2-1) had allowed more earned runs (five) than he had in 23 previous innings combined (three).

In the rally, a bases-loaded, two-out single by Mendoza scored a pair of runs to tie the score, 3-3. Vince Vitela (two doubles, four runs batted in) then lofted a fly ball to right that Kennedy’s Darrin McCall lost in the sun. Two runs scored and Vitela took third when McCall’s throw to the infield eluded first baseman Troy Bourne for an error. Beaumaster balked home Vitela to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead.

Kennedy, still in the game, then ran itself out of two potential rallies. In the third, Billy Ramirez was erased when he tried to move from second to third on a ground out to third by Jason Makahon. First baseman Nunez fired to shortstop Luis Rodriguez, covering at third, who tagged out Ramirez. Consequently, McCall’s ensuing single was rendered meaningless, and John Davis struck out to end the inning.

With his team trailing, 8-3, in the fourth, Tagliaferri ripped a leadoff double into right field but was thrown out as he tried to stretch it into a triple. San Fernando starter Rick Savala surrendered a pair of singles and hit two batters in the inning but gave up only one run.

With the bases loaded and two out, San Fernando left-hander Jorge Gonzalez relieved Savala and struck out Makahon. Gonzalez, a sophomore, pitched the final 3 1/3 innings to earn his first win.

Gonzalez (1-0), a control specialist with a nasty curve, allowed one hit and struck out five batters, including three in a row in the seventh.