FREEWAY LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Looney Shuts Down La Habra to Give Sunny Hills the Title

Almost lost in Sunny Hills’ 14-hit, 10-0 romp Friday at La Habra was another impressive pitching performance by Chris Looney.

Looney, mixing a lively fastball with a good curve, allowed six hits and struck out eight to earn his seventh consecutive victory in the six-team league. Only two La Habra runners reached second.

The victory clinched the league title for Sunny Hills (17-6, 12-1) with two games remaining. It also gave the seventh-ranked team in the Southern Section 4-A division added momentum with postseason play two weeks away.

“I feel good about this team’s chances in the playoffs,” Sunny Hills Coach Doug Elliott said. “We have two good pitchers and have been hitting well lately. This is a pretty balanced team that is comparable to our 1985 team.”

Sunny Hills will enter the playoffs unseeded but the presence of starting pitchers Rich Orr (5-2) and Looney (7-2) should make the Lancers formidable in the single-elimination tournament.

“The playoffs are five rounds and I think we should have an edge with two good pitchers,” Elliott said. “This team tends to rise to the occasion.”

Outfielder Kenny Overby played a big role in Sunny Hills’ victory Friday, hitting a single, double and triple and scoring three runs. Elliott thinks Overby is one of the keys to his team’s playoff chances.

“Kenny has been getting one hit a game, but this was his best day at the plate this year,” he said. “He is the type of player who can make a team go, or he can get down on himself.”

Third baseman Tony Martinez also had a big day against losing pitcher Scott Veeder (7-3). Martinez singled home Overby in the first inning and ripped a two-run triple to right in the fifth. Teammates Erren O’Leary, Steve Ashton and Steve Mellano each had two hits.

Sunny Hills had two doubles and two triples among its 14 hits and swept three games against La Habra (10-7, 8-5). Sophomore catcher Bryan Reed had two of the six hits off Looney.

“Chris Looney will be a candidate for the MVP of our league,” Elliott said. “I’m sure Troy will put up (catcher) Steve Friedrich with his 10 homers. But Chris is certainly deserving with seven victories in this league.”

In other league games:

Troy 14, Sonora 1--Guy Pinelli had a grand slam in the first inning to lead host Troy (14-7, 8-5). Brent Lacher (3-0) struck out eight in five innings and went three-for-five.

Buena Park 10, Fullerton 9 (eight innings)--Alfredo Garcia drove in Ramiro Jaime with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to win it for visiting Buena Park. Adam Townson had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in a third run. After starting at first base, he pitched the final three innings to record the victory for Buena Park (10-9, 7-6).