HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : After Blowing Lead, Granada Hills Rescued in 8th by Berger’s Blast

Granada Hills High baseball players gathered at home plate Wednesday to greet Scott Berger, whose three-run home run in the eighth inning had given the host Highlanders a 10-7 North Valley League victory over Cleveland.

A similar celebration ensued on the spectators’ side of the fence.

But others were not so impressed.

“It was a great game for spectators,” Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh said. “It was a terrible game for coaches.”

Great for fans: The lead changed five times. Cleveland had 17 hits, Granada Hills 12.

Bad for coaches: Stroh grieved as the Highlanders (11-4, 6-4 in league play) blew a three-run lead with two out and none on in the seventh. Cleveland, meanwhile, yielded three unearned runs in the fifth as Granada Hills took a 5-3 lead.

“That game never should have gone extra innings,” Cleveland center fielder Brian Basowski said.

Cleveland (9-5-1, 5-5) took a 7-6 lead in the eighth when Julio Marcial, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a two-out single by Dave Cipolla.

Flavio Castro led off the eighth for Granada Hills with a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Heath McElwee doubled to tie the score, 7-7. Sam Voita was intentionally walked, setting up Berger’s home run to right field.

Matt Livingston (4-2) pitched the first 6 2/3 innings for Granada Hills and returned with one out in the eighth.

With the Highlanders ahead, 6-3, in the seventh, he was one out from victory. But Basowski singled and, when the count went 2-and-0 to Cipolla, Mike Cuthbert was called on to relieve.

Cuthbert walked Cipolla and allowed singles to Mike Petruzates, Doug Rubin and Imken to tie the score.

“You don’t like giving up three-run leads with two out,” Stroh said.

Granada Hills had a chance to win in the bottom of the inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Aleksey Lavery singled to center. Basowski fired home to retire Berger, who tried to score from second.

Livingston and Willie Morales were caught in a pitching duel until the fourth. Cleveland took a 1-0 lead with the help of two errors.

Lavery’s two-run home run in the bottom of the inning gave Granada Hills a 2-1 lead.

A leadoff triple by Mario Macias and a double by Cipolla keyed Cleveland’s two-run rally in the top of the fifth. Granada Hills scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, a rally keyed by McElwee’s triple.

McElwee had three hits, a walk, two runs and two runs batted in.