HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : Morton’s Homer Gives Calabasas Its First Title

Josh Morton provided a storybook climax to Calabasas High’s game of the season by hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday, lifting the the Coyotes to a 4-3 Frontier League comeback victory over Moorpark.

The victory assured Calabasas (14-4-1, 8-3 in league play) of at least a share of the school’s first baseball title in its 17-year history. Calabasas has a one-game lead over Moorpark (13-8, 7-4) with game to play.

Morton’s fourth home run came on the first pitch from senior right-hander Richard Hernandez (5-3) with one out and Mehul Taylor on second. Hernandez struck out four.

Morton (7-3), a junior right-hander, had five strikeouts and gave up six hits in notching his fifth complete game.

Moorpark took a 3-0 lead with one out in the fourth on a two-run double by Jason Adamson and a run-scoring single by Bill Finnerty.

Calabasas scored two unearned runs in the fifth.

In other baseball games:

Montclair Prep 10, Village Christian 6--Brad Fullmer of Montclair Prep drove in three runs in the nonleague game, raising his season total to 60 and setting a Southern Section record. Fullmer eclipsed the record of 58 set by Scott Davison of Redondo in 1987.

Fullmer, who had a pair of doubles in three at-bats, has more extra base hits (27) than singles (21) this season. He has more RBIs than hits (48). He has 15 stolen bases.

El Camino Real 7, Chatsworth 2--Dan Cey drove in three runs and junior left-hander Randy Wolf pitched a four-hitter with six strikeouts as the Conquistadores opened a four-game lead in the West Valley League with a victory at El Camino Real.

Cey, who was two for four, had a two-run single in the fourth to break open a 3-2 game. El Camino Real (18-2, 14-1) scored three runs in the first.

Chatsworth (17-7, 10-5) scored in the third when Ray Daryabigi drew a bases-loaded walk and Brandon Murphy had a run-scoring single.

Sylmar 8, Grant 1--Sophomore Hiram Damwijk went three for four and scored two runs to lead the Spartans (17-7, 13-2) past Grant in an East Valley League game.

Junior right-hander Carlos Velazco (9-1) allowed three hits and one earned run in five innings of work.

Monroe 4, Canoga Park 2--Phil Lugo pitched a four-hitter to propel the Vikings in a Mid-Valley League game at Lanark Park.

Lugo (2-0) struck three, walked two and hit two batters.

Jorge Dorado had two hits and an RBI for Monroe (16-4, 13-2) and teammate Joel Zamudio added a two-run single in the sixth which snapped a scoreless tie.

Taft 8, Reseda 1--Gabe Kapler went three for three to lead the Toreadors (17-7, 8-7) past Reseda (2-17, 0-15) in a West Valley League game.

Brandon Witkow (9-1) allowed eight hits in five innings and Justin Siegel pitched two hitless innings of relief.

Hoover 5, Muir 4--Gerald DeLaPena (7-0), who came on in relief of Jamie Just with one out in the second, gave up two hits and struck out four in the final 5 2/3 innings to pick up the victory for the Tornadoes in the Pacific League game at Muir.

Hoover (17-5, 12-2) clinched the league title when Glendale lost to Arcadia.

Arcadia 7, Glendale 0--Grady Rohn hit a three-run home run for Arcadia in a Pacific League game at Glendale.

San Fernando 5, Cleveland 0--Jerry Serratos had a three-run triple for San Fernando (10-9-1, 8-7) in the first inning of a Northwest Valley Conference game at Cleveland.

Senior Ray Rivera (7-4) pitched four hitless innings for the Tigers.

Poly 9, North Hollywood 2--Zeke Barragan pitched a five-hitter, struck out four and walked one for Poly in the East Valley league game at North Hollywood (10-10, 7-8).

Danny Martinez and Gowdy Martinez each had two hits and two RBIs for Poly (10-10. 10-5).

Fillmore 8, Bishop Diego 2--The Flashes clinched the Tri-Valley League title with a win over the Cardinals (13-8-1, 7-4) at Fillmore.

Jamie Duran (7-2) pitched a five hitter and catcher Phillip Chessani went one for three with two RBIs for Fillmore (14-4, 9-2).

Crescenta Valley 10, Pasadena 4--Garret Lee (5-5) pitched a six-hitter and Brendan Cowsill’s two-run double keyed a five-run sixth inning for Crescenta Valley. The Falcons (12-11, 7-7) moved into sole possession of third place in the Pacific League.

Kennedy 13, Granada Hills 1--Richard Prieto had three hits and drove in three runs as Tom Manning pitched a four-hitter in a North Valley League game at Granada Hills.

Saugus 6, Burbank 2--Chad New hit a solo homer in the second inning and drove in another run with a seventh-inning single as the Centurions won a Foothill League game at Burbank.

Brandon Hernandez had two hits and two runs for Saugus (15-9, 5-6).

SOFTBALL

Simi Valley 1, Newbury Park 0--Sara Griffin pitched a two-hitter and struck out six for for the Pioneers in a Marmonte League game at Rancho Santa Susana Park.

The shutout was the ninth for Griffin (16-1-1) and her sixth in league play.

Simi Valley (21-1-1, 11-1-1) scored in the second when Tracy Hansen singled and later scored from second on a two-out throwing error by Newbury Park (19-7, 9-5).

Camarillo 2, Agoura 0--The second-place Scorpions (19-6, 11-2) notched their 11th consecutive Marmonte League victory on Laura Richardson’s four-hit, nine strikeout performance.

Johnna Mike went two for two, drove in one run and scored the other.

Thousand Oaks 3, Channel Islands 0--Nicole Ochoa hit her third home run of the season as the Lancers (13-12-1, 6-7-1) downed Channel Islands (0-12 in league) in a Marmonte League game.

Carrie Russell (9-10) tossed a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts.

Hoover 16, Muir 2--Nancy Evans’ seventh-inning error ruined her bid for the 15th perfect game of her career, but she settled for her 23rd no-hitter in her career in a Pacific League game at Muir. Evans (22-1), who had 19 strikeouts, dropped a pop fly that led to both Muir runs. Evans also paced a 16-hit attack with a run-scoring triple in the fifth. Brenda Lyon had a two-run triple for Hoover (22-1-1, 8-1).

La Reina 5, Oak Park 0--Freshman right-hander Jennifer Baltruzak threw a no-hitter to beat Eagles in a Tri-Valley League game.

Baltruzak (13-0) had eight strikeouts and walked three.

Taft 1, El Camino Real 0--Senior Julie Kawamoto (14-4) helped Taft end the Conquistadores’ 13-year rule of the West Valley League by pitching a two-hitter.

Taft (15-4, 9-1), which earned the league championship with the victory, scored in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by Tracy Borgh.

Quartz Hill 14, Palmdale 2--Lolita Allen, Nicci Manduca and Cindy Sims hit home runs for the Rebels (17-5, 13-1) to lead a 14-hit attack against Palmdale in a Golden League game.

Moorpark 14, Calabasas 1--Karen Richter’s third grand slam of the season highlighted the Musketeers’ Frontier League victory.

Fillmore 19, Bishop Diego 2--Tina Alverdi had four hits, including a grand slam and a two-run homer, as the Flashes (17-3, 7-2) won a Tri-Valley League game shortened to five innings because of the 10-run rule.