ROUNDUP : Granada Hills Runs Into a Triple Play and Out of Luck as Taft Wins, 3-2

It sounds like something out of Ripley’s Believe It or Not: a triple play that started on a strikeout. What’s more, it saved--and ended--the game Wednesday as Taft High held on for a 3-2 victory over Granada Hills in a Northwest Valley Conference game at Taft.

With the bases full and none out in the top of the seventh, Taft’s Brandon Witkow (4-0) struck out Phil Cohen on a pitch in the dirt. Since first base was occupied, no throw to first was needed.

Jim Landress of Granada Hills came down the third base line and was tagged by catcher Adam Shotland following a rundown.

During the rundown, Highlander Rob Cohen tried to go from second to third, but Shotland fired to shortstop Gabe Kapler covering third and Cohen was tagged out. Shotland recorded two putouts and an assist on the play.

Witkow struck out seven for Taft (8-2, 3-2 in league play).

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In other baseball games:

Newbury Park 7, Westlake 2--Shawn Adams hit a home run and a double, and Tim Farris added a two-run homer in the sixth to lead the Panthers (5-6, 3-1) to a Marmonte League victory.

Winner Ray Clinton allowed seven hits and struck out seven.

Simi Valley 20, Camarillo 3--Ryan Hankins was four for five, including two doubles and his fifth home run for Simi Valley (9-1, 5-0) in a Marmonte League game.

Kennedy 14, Reseda 7--The eighth-ranked Golden Cougars (8-2, 3-2) scored all their runs on four pitches in a Northwest Valley game.

Jeff Tagliaferri hit a bases-loaded triple, Richard Prieto and Rick Nadeau hit grand slams and David Bourne had a three-run homer.

Chatsworth 10, San Fernando 0--Mark Lopez went three for four with a double and had four runs batted in for the Chancellors (8-2, 5-0) in a Northwest Valley Conference game at Chatsworth.

Alemany 17, Chaminade 0--Andy Dominique drove in five runs with a single, double and home run, leading the Indians (7-3, 5-0) to a Mission League victory at Mission Hills.

Alemany had 18 hits.

El Camino Real 13, Cleveland 0--Kevin Szymanski (4-1) pitched a three-hitter for El Camino Real (9-1, 5-0) in a Northwest Valley Conference game.

First baseman Craig Carlton doubled and added a bases-loaded triple to lead a 15-hit attack.

Burroughs 8, Saugus 7--Carl Castro’s three-run homer in the sixth gave the Indians (4-6, 1-0) a Foothill League victory. Holland Cowger had 10 strikeouts.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Cal Lutheran 7, Azusa Pacific 2--The Kingsmen, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division III, broke Azusa Pacific’s 16-game winning streak in a nonconference game at Azusa.

Dave Jaglawski entered in the second inning and gave up one run and three hits the rest of the way.

Cal Lutheran (18-4) has beaten Azusa Pacific (21-3-1) four consecutive times at Azusa since 1990, when the Kingsmen beat the Cougars for the NAIA District 3 title.

Canyons 8, Moorpark 4--R.J. Simone scattered 11 hits and J.T. Billingslea and Chris Pfatenhauer each had three hits for the Cougars in a Western State Conference game at Moorpark (9-15, 6-11).

Oxnard 6, Santa Monica 1--Chris Devlin (1-4) pitched a two-hitter as host Oxnard (6-17, 4-13) won a WSC game.

The Master’s 17, Southern California College 9--Matt Henzie homered, doubled, singled and drove in four runs for the Mustangs (17-11, 6-4) in an NAIA District 3 game.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Hoover 5, Eisenhower 0--Nancy Evans had 20 strikeouts but walked one, missing the 15th perfect game of her career. She had a no-hitter, however, her 22nd.

Alemany 6, Louisville 0--Sophie Contrerras pitched her fourth no-hitter this season for Alemany (9-2, 3-0) in a Mission League game at Louisville.

BOYS’ TRACK

Canyon 84, Burbank 54--Burbank’s Isaac Turner pushed Canyon’s Charles Mansfield to two personal best efforts in the Foothill League meet at Canyon.

Mansfield won the 400 meters in 49.6 seconds with Turner second in the identical time.

Mansfield also won the high jump at 6 feet 8 inches--Turner was second at 6-4.