AMERICAN LEGION ROUNDUP : Shortstop Alcarez Pitches a Win

Bill Paxton, coach of the Palmdale East American Legion baseball team, claims Luis Alcarez had not pitched since Little League.

But when his starting pitcher was a no-show for a crucial District 20 game against West Hills Saturday--and two others were ineffective--Paxton gave the ball to Alcarez, and Alcarez gave his team a 17-13 victory.

Paxton called Alcarez in from shortstop in the top of the seventh inning, after West Hills scored three runs each off starter Eddy Wenkunas and reliever David Glick to open a 13-9 lead. Alcarez allowed only one hit the remainder of the game while Palmdale East scored four runs in the bottom the seventh and four more in the eighth.

Palmdale East (13-5-1) finds itself one-half game ahead of Newhall Saugus--one of two teams it plays today. After Saturday’s maneuver, Paxton appears ready to pull out all stops to get his team to the playoffs.

“We’re fighting for a playoff berth,” he said. “Last year we made the playoffs and we were financially unable to play. But this year we’re financially able.”

Woodland Hills East 15, Lancaster North 11--Stacy Kleiner went four for five with three runs batted in and picked up the victory in relief against Lancaster North (8-12) in a Western Division game at Taft.

Tied, 11-11, Woodland Hills East (12-7) scored four runs with two out in the eighth. David Helman and Josh Irving each had three hits and three RBIs.

The two teams combined for 32 hits.

North Hollywood 9, Van Nuys South 4--Tyler Atwood hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead North Hollywood (7-13) past Van Nuys South (12-8) in an Eastern Division game at Grant.

Las Virgenes 9, Newhall-Saugus 3--Kevin Sass was two for four with two RBIs and David Jacobs three for three as Las Virgenes (13-6) stayed alive in its bid for a playoff berth with its seventh consecutive victory.

Cupertino 7, Newbury Oaks 6--Newbury Oaks tied the Las Vegas Tournament game, 6-6, in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Josh Silverstein and a suicide squeeze bunt by Cody Kennedy that scored Tim Farris, but lost it in the bottom of the inning.

Newbury Oaks (11-9) has 52 runs and 63 hits in four games but a 2-2 record in the tournament.