AMERICAN LEGION PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Reserve Power Sparks Granada Hills West to 7-6 Victory

Gaby Halcovich, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound reserve second baseman, blasted a two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday to give Granada Hills West a 7-6 victory over Sun Valley in the opening round of the American Legion District 20 playoffs at Pierce College.

Halcovich, who entered the game as a defensive substitution in the top of the ninth, drove Eric Diaz’s 1-and-1 pitch over the left-center-field fence after Manny Valencia had singled.

Sun Valley scored twice in the top of the ninth to take a 6-5 lead. Jesus Perez doubled to drive in Mike LaBrunda and Ernie Bueno but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple. Granada Hills West right-hander Danny Martin (2-0) relieved starter Robert Vazquez with two out and retired the side.

Granada Hills West (18-6) scored three runs in the third inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. Heath McElwee had a run-scoring single and Dave Cipolla followed with a two-run double.

In other first-round games:

Encino-Crespi 9, Sepulveda 3--Encino-Crespi stole seven bases, capitalized on eight errors by Sepulveda (19-5) and held triple-crown winner Brad Fullmer hitless at College of the Canyons.

It was the first game this season that Fullmer had failed to collect a hit.

For Encino-Crespi (18-6-1), Brad Farlow was four for five, including three doubles, and drove in two runs. Jeff Suppan was three for five, including two doubles, with four runs batted in.

Woodland Hills East 15, Woodland Hills West 1--Despite only three hits, East (16-7-1) buried error-prone West at Burroughs High. In the top of the first, East took advantage of four West errors and scored six times without benefit of a hit. East, in fact, held a 12-0 lead before recording its first hit--a single by Matt Allison in the sixth.

Warren Stewart pitched seven strong innings for East, allowing one run and six hits, striking out three and walking one. Five West pitchers combined to hit or walk 19 batters. Shortstop Dan Cey had two hits for West (17-7), which scored its lone run in the seventh on a ground-rule double by Jason Sipperley.