Kennedy Races Past Poly in Opener, 8-0

Kennedy High combined strong pitching with solid hitting and daring baserunning Wednesday to breeze past host Poly, 8-0, in the San Fernando tournament. It was the opening game for both teams.

Leading 2-0, Kennedy put the game out of reach with a four-run, three-hit sixth inning.

Designated hitter Jason Makahon and catcher David Bourne hit consecutive doubles with one out. Bourne stole third and, after a walk to right-fielder Rick Nadeau, Bourne and Nadeau pulled off a double steal, Bourne scoring.

Nadeau advanced to third on a hit by left fielder Darren McCall, and McCall promptly stole second.

Third baseman John Toven then grounded back to the mound as Nadeau and McCall were running on the pitch. Poly’s Francisco Flores threw to first for the second out while Nadeau and McCall raced home to make the score 6-0.

“We work on those things in practice and in the early season, (and) you make believers out of the kids,” Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado said.

Makahon and Bourne each went three for four with a double and one run batted in.

“I know we can hit the ball,” Alvarado said.

But Jerry Cord, Alvarado’s counterpart at Poly, was not as sanguine. “We certainly didn’t swing the bat,” Cord said. “That’s something that is going to change. You just can’t sit back and let them throw strikes.”

In five innings, Kennedy starter Shawn Carter walked three, struck out four, and allowed just one hit.

Matt Talia replaced Carter in the sixth and allowed one hit and a walk, then gave way to Tavarus Logie, who pitched a hitless seventh for the Golden Cougars.

Poly’s offense couldn’t get going. Second baseman Ernesto Bueno, the Parrots’ leadoff hitter, walked in the first and reached third base two outs later.

He was the only Parrot player to advance that far.