AMERICAN LEGION PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Suppan, Encino-Crespi Bursts Valley North’s Bubble, 10-3

Pop goes the fastball.

Pop goes the bat.

But more than anything, pop goes the chewing gum. Incessantly.

“I’m the bubble gum kid, I guess,” Jeff Suppan said.

Suppan, a right-hander, tossed a five-hitter and struck out 11 to lead Encino-Crespi to a 10-3 victory over Valley North in a second-round game of the American Legion District 20 baseball playoffs Thursday at Burroughs High.

Encino-Crespi, which has won 16 district games in a row, will play Verdugo Hills today at 4:30 p.m. at Burroughs. Both teams are 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament.

Suppan, who will be a senior at Crespi High this fall, also had three hits, including a monstrous 420-foot homer over the fence in dead center field.

With Valley North (20-3-1) holding a 1-0 lead, Suppan tied the score with his homer to lead off the fifth. Soon thereafter, things unraveled for Valley North left-hander Ricky Staves.

Rich Gonzalez and Jeff Herrera each had run-scoring singles later in the inning as Encino-Crespi (19-6) took a 3-1 lead.

After Encino-Crespi pushed across another run in the sixth, Casey Snow and Kyle Carden singled and were wild-pitched to second and third by Staves. With two out, Valley North intentionally walked Brad Farlow, but there was a minor complication.

Valley North catcher David Stevenson thought he had a shot at nailing Carden, who had drifted off second base. On ball four to Farlow, Stevenson gunned the ball into center for an error and both runners scored to hand Encino-Crespi a 6-2 lead.

“That was the play of the game right there,” Encino-Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “They were hitting, they were hanging right with us, then that gave us a cushion.”

Shortstop Doug Dean homered and had two hits for Valley North, which will face Sepulveda in an elimination game today at 4 p.m. at Pierce College.