Scouts, Royal Crossed Up by Dellamano, 4-2

Nearly everyone who showed up at Westlake High on Wednesday expected to see John Snyder on the mound for the host Warriors.

Professional scouts plugged in their radar guns for Snyder, a right-hander whose fastball has been clocked as high as 87 m.p.h. Royal Coach Dan Maye even told the Highlanders to prepare for fastball after fastball.

Westlake Coach Rich Herrera had another idea, which kept Snyder in left field and made a star of Tony Dellamano during Westlake’s 4-2 win over Royal in a Marmonte League game.

Although Snyder had thrown a two-hit shutout against Royal on April 15, Herrera handed the ball to Dellamano.

Dellamano’s hard fastball and sharp curve limited Royal to three hits and one earned run. The loss dropped Royal (13-5, 7-2 in league play) into a first-place tie with Simi Valley (15-5, 7-2). The cross-town-rivals will meet Friday at Simi Valley.

“John who?” Herrera quipped.

Dellamano (3-2), who has been victimized by Westlake’s porous defense, pitched out of a sixth-inning jam and lowered his earned-run average to 1.60. Although an error led to an unearned run for Royal in the first, Westlake made just one error thereafter.

“When we made that error, I thought, ‘Here we go again’ ,” Dellamano said. “But we played good defense, and everything works out real well when we do that.”

Westlake broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth. Tim Wootton singled and went to third when Snyder singled on a hit-and-run play. An error allowed Wootton to score and Bob Bogle, who ran for Snyder, advanced to second.

A wild pitch allowed the runners to advance and Rico Lagattuta laid down a squeeze bunt that brought home Bogle.

“Really, we got beat by a couple of bunts,” Maye said. “But you have to credit Westlake for their pitching and execution.”

Westlake (10-8, 4-5) took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Wootton (two for three) singled and scored when Royal pitcher Matt Goebel (5-2) fielded Snyder’s sacrifice bunt and threw the ball down the right-field line. Keith Wilson followed with a run-scoring double.

Royal tied the score, 2-2, in the fifth when Eugene Strojek lofted a fly ball that dropped onto the hill in right field for a double and knocked in David Brown.

Royal had runners at second and third with none out in the sixth but could not score. Paul Taylor flied out to short center field, Mike Worford struck out and Ryan Martinez hit a chopper that Dellamano fielded and threw to first.

“You have to score in that situation or you’re not going to win many ballgames,” Maye said.

Dellamano, who struck out six, carried a no-hitter into the fifth and retired 12 consecutive batters at one point.

“He didn’t do anything different than he’s done all year,” Herrera said. “We just happened to play some defense.”