West Stages Rally in 7th to Defeat Quartz Hill, 4-3

Don Hornback leaned back against the dugout fence at El Camino Real High, then sprawled out on the team bench.

His back has been bothering him. Having it up against the wall most of the time doesn’t help.

For the second time in as many days, Hornback’s Woodland Hills West team came from behind in its final at-bat, this time defeating Quartz Hill, 4-3, in a American Legion District 20 game Wednesday between divisional contenders.

In an interdivisional game Tuesday night, West scored five times in the ninth to defeat the Fullerton Dodgers, 7-6. Things seemed nearly as bleak against Quartz Hill, the leader of the Northern Division.

West trailed, 3-1, entering the bottom of the seventh. Every offensive threat to that point had been countered by Quartz Hill, which turned three double plays to hold off West, the defending state champion.

Quartz Hill reliever Javier Salinas (3-2) walked Mike Smith to open the inning, and one out later, walked Ed Bushey and Mike McLean to load the bases.

Dan Cey, who had doubled and scored in the sixth to bring West within 3-1, ripped a two-run double to the fence in left to tie the score.

“The tough thing about facing a guy who’s thrown about nine straight balls is wondering whether he’s going to throw another strike,” Cey said. “My first couple of times up, I was hitting the ball off the end of the bat, so I decided to be real aggressive from then on.

“I think I’ll be aggressive from now on.”

Salinas was replaced by Manny Corral, who intentionally walked Kent Cote to load the bases. With the outfield playing shallow, Greg Lederman--who already had grounded into two double plays--sent a chopper to third base. McLean beat the throw home with a slide to give West the victory.

“If it’s anybody but Mike McLean at third, they might have made the play,” Hornback said. “But he’s the quickest kid we’ve had here in three years.”

Quartz Hill starter Chad Hamilton made quick work of West (11-3) over the first five innings. West managed just three hits and Hamilton was backed by three double plays. Quartz Hill wasn’t nearly as quiet offensively.

West right-hander Sean Boldt surrendered a solo home run to Mike Casumcad in the third, then served up another in the sixth, when Kendial Armstrong hit a curve over the fence in right-center.

“I couldn’t believe he got that one out of here,” Boldt said of the homer by Armstrong, a Times All-Valley player as a senior at Quartz Hill High in 1990. “He golfed it out of here.”

It marked the first time Boldt had given up two home runs in one game since he was battered in the state Legion tournament in Yountville in 1989, the season West eventually won the World Series title.

With two out, Terry Thompson singled and scored on an opposite-field triple to right by Mike Krass that gave Quartz Hill a 3-1 lead.

West, meanwhile, stumbled along. Lederman hit into double plays in the first and sixth innings. With the bases loaded and none out in the fourth, Boldt ripped a liner to shortstop Rob Keller, who threw to third to double off Cote.

“I wanted to throw the bat into the screen after that one,” said Boldt. “It wouldn’t have been a good example, but I wanted to heave it.”

With a late rally, though, West gave its now-customary heave-ho to another opponent. The names and faces have changed, but West’s modus operandi hasn’t.

“The nice thing about this team, as evidenced (Tuesday) night and today, is that it’s starting to win the Woodland Hills West way,” Hornback said. “They’re doing it the way their predecessors did.”