Poly Takes Round 1 From Sylmar : Baseball: In battle of heavyweights, Parrots secure first place. Rematch Monday.

Steve Guerrero says he doesn’t know much about animosity, vengeance, tight games and championship showdowns when it comes to playing baseball against Sylmar High.

In fact, the Poly third baseman said he tries to keep his mind blank when he plays.

“I don’t think,” Guerrero said. “I just do my best--and sit on fastballs.”

Guerrero lined two fastballs into left field Thursday, driving in three runs and powering host Poly to a 5-2 victory over Sylmar that broke a first-place tie in the Valley Pac-8 Conference.

Poly (12-5, 8-1) was outhit, 9-6. Pitcher Hugo De La Torre (6-2) struggled with his control. But Guerrero’s timely hits and some splendid defense at crucial points made the difference.

The Spartans (13-4, 7-2) left 10 runners on base and were thoroughly frustrated in the fifth and sixth innings. Sylmar produced three hits in each inning, but could score only one run in each.

With two out and Poly leading, 3-1, in the fifth, Sylmar had runners at second and third. Rene Zavala hit foul by inches a ball that would have been a double to left. Then Zavala hit a smash that Guerrero knocked down for an infield single as the runners held, but Jose Palacios grounded out with the bases loaded.

In the sixth, Alex Ortiz singled, Nick Ramos doubled and Steve Zamora hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. Mike Cervantes was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with one out. Rafael Velazco struck out, but Hiram Damwijk followed with a sharp single that figured to score Ramos. But Parrot center fielder Jaime Cerna came up with the play of the game.

Cerna’s throw home on one bounce landed in the glove of catcher Chris Hernandez, who was held onto the ball when Ortiz barreled into him.

Hernandez halted two other Sylmar threats, pouncing on a topper in the dirt by Zavala and retiring him for the third out in the second with two runners on. Hernandez also gunned down Ortiz on a steal attempt for the second out in the fourth.

“I think (my players) are a little frustrated, because they hit the ball hard,” Sylmar Coach Gary Donatella said. “I told them we played well enough to win, but not today.”

Turnabout is fair play. Last year, Sylmar beat Poly in two extra inning games--6-5 in 11 and 1-0 in eight--on its way to the Pac-8 championship.

“We have great games with Sylmar,” Poly Coach Chuck Schwal said. “It’s like a battle every time we play.”

Poly scored an unearned run in the third and made it 3-0 in the fourth when Guerrero’s single off Velazco (5-1) scored Cerna and pinch-runner George Colon.

After Cerna’s big assist that kept the score at 3-2 in the sixth, Poly delivered a knockout blow in the bottom of the inning. Jose Sandoval was hit with Velazco’s first pitch. With one out after Sandoval advanced on one of six stolen bases by Poly, Ray Montenegro drove Sandoval home with his second single. Montenegro moved to second on the throw home and was replaced by pinch-runner Travis McGivern.

Guerrero lined Velazco’s first pitch to left, scoring McGivern. Afterward, Guerrero, a junior, shrugged his shoulders and said he wasn’t aware of any rivalry.

“I just come out here to play,” he said. “It’s fun beating Sylmar, but we’ve got to move on to the next one.”

The next one is Monday, at Sylmar.