BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Canyon Moves Closer to Second Straight Century League Title

Canyon is poised to win a second consecutive Century League title after beating Orange, 5-2, Tuesday.

The Comanches (18-4, 10-2), paced by sophomore right-hander Jeff Leuenberger (9-0), who went the distance and gave up only five singles, have a two-game lead on the Panthers (11-11, 8-4) with three to play. Canyon can clinch the league title with a victory Friday at Orange.

Nearly as important to Canyon was getting over its 20-3 loss to Orange back in March. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get 20 runs against us,” said Canyon Coach Mike Najera, who said he doesn’t believe the Panthers tried to run up the score.

The game ended abruptly as the Panthers, trailing 5-0 going into the seventh, were in the middle of a rally.

With the bases loaded, one out and two runs already in, Orange’s David Matranga slapped one back to Leuenberger, who threw the ball to Canyon catcher Chad Baum for the force out. Baum’s throw to first hit Matranga in the back, but home plate umpire Jim Endersby ruled Matranga had run out of the baseline and called him out for a double play.

Orange Coach Ed Howard didn’t quite see it that way.

“No one wants to see a game end that way--the ump ending things,” said Howard, who admitted he did not have the best angle on the play. “The kid had one leg in bounds, one out, but not enough (for the call).”

Najera said he thought the call was correct. “I’m glad he had the guts to call it. But we shouldn’t have gotten in that situation. We opened the door for Orange in the seventh and all of sudden the game got closer than it should be.”

Leuenberger had muffled the Panthers on two hits going into the seventh--a pretty mean feat considering Orange’s team average in league play was .390 going into Tuesday’s contest. The Comanches were also swinging hot bats--a .380 team league average--meaning the game figured to be high-scoring.

But, as Howard wryly noted before the start, “what’s supposed to happen in the Century League rarely does.”

In other Century League games:

El Modena 3, Villa Park 1--Derrick Muska pitched a two-hitter through six innings and Brent Galasso’s two-out RBI single in the fifth drove in Greg Hanson with the winning run for El Modena (8-10, 5-7). Villa Park is 11-12, 4-8.

Santa Ana Valley 10, Foothill 3--Robert Serrano went the distance allowing only five hits to get the victory for Santa Ana Valley, which scored seven of its runs in the first three innings.

In Olympic League baseball:

Orange Lutheran 2, Cerritos Valley Christian 0--Jim Munroe pitched five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two strikeouts and Tim Smith’s RBI double in the fifth inning drove in Dan Young with the eventual winning run for Orange Lutheran (12-9, 8-4).

In Pacific Coast League:

Laguna Hills 2, Aliso Niguel 1--Charlie Noble scored on an error in the fourth inning as Laguna Hills (13-9, 8-4) moved into a tie with University for first place.

University 7, Estancia 0--Tim Blackburn pitched a complete-game shutout and hit his fourth home run of the season for University (13-10, 8-4) which is tied for first with Laguna Hills. Estancia is 11-11, 5-7.

In the Sunset League:

Esperanza 6, Marina 1--Esperanza had two three-run doubles as the Aztecs upset third-ranked Marina (17-5, 8-4). Jason Webb had one of those doubles in the third inning and pinch-hitter Brian Bingham hit one in the fifth.

Tom Nicholson hit two doubles for Esperanza (11-10-1, 6-6).

Fountain Valley 19, Los Alamitos 9--Chris Ponchak was three for four with three RBIs for No 1 Fountain Valley (19-3-1, 10-2).

Huntington Beach 1, Edison 0--Jeremy Vidales had a home run in the first inning to lead Huntington Beach (13-9, 6-6). Ryan Evans pitched a three-hit shutout.