HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Freshman Avila Betters Elders in 2-1 No-Hit Win Over Monroe

Van Nuys High freshman Jose Avila, making his second varsity appearance, threw a no-hitter Thursday in a 2-1 victory over Monroe in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game at Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park.

Monroe (15-8, 11-3), which had won 14 games in a row, is in first place in the Mid-Valley League. Van Nuys (4-18, 4-10) is last in the four-team league.

“This was a huge win for us,” Van Nuys Coach Jim Friery said. “Our program hasn’t beaten Monroe in six years. They’re the class of the league.”

Avila, who was called up to the varsity team two weeks ago, struck out four, walked two and hit a batter. He threw 86 pitches, 51 for strikes and induced eight pop flies. Last week, Avila (1-1) allowed seven runs, five earned, in six innings against Reseda.

“He did a great job of throwing strikes, changing speeds and keeping his composure,” Friery said. “It was a case of a freshman on the mound not realizing he’s a freshman.”

Monroe held a brief 1-0 lead when Phillip Allsup scored from third base on a wild throw from the catcher in the top of the sixth inning. Allsup reached base on an error to open the inning.

Van Nuys scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Yuri Cuervo scored from third on an infield single by Frank Casaccia. With two out, Casaccia scored on a triple by Carlos Flores.

Poly 8, Grant 6--Ray Montenegro’s two-out double in the top of the 10th scored Paco Hernandez and Jose Sandoval with the winning runs for Poly (17-5, 13-1) in a Valley Pac-8 victory.

Daniel Rothman had three hits for Grant (5-16, 4-10).

Reseda 5, Canoga Park 1--Sean Hernandez threw a one-hitter, struck out six and walked two for the visiting Regents in a Valley Pac-8 game at Lanark Park.

Kevin Fishman singled with two out in the fourth to snap Hernandez’s no-hit bid.

Brian Menkin was two for three with a run batted in for Reseda (5-9, 5-9).

Sylmar 12, North Hollywood 1--Sylmar (17-5, 11-3) scored eight first-inning runs to put the Valley Pac-8 game of reach early. Chris Ruley and Albert Palma each homered for Sylmar.

Granada Hills 10, San Fernando 5--Nick Pikor drove in three runs for the host Highlanders (13-9, 7-7) and Jimmy Landress knocked in two in a Northwest Valley Conference victory.

Kennedy 11, Cleveland 3--The Golden Cougars (20-3, 12-2) used run-scoring doubles by George Kassis and Andy Montes in a five-run fifth in a Northwest Valley game at Cleveland.

Chatsworth 6, Taft 3--Fred Farzaneh had two hits and three RBIs and scored twice for the Chancellors in a Northwest Valley game at Taft.

Farzaneh’s two-run single broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth and Ray Daryabigi added two hits for Chatsworth (13-9, 8-6).

Eagle Rock 8, Verdugo Hills 6--The host Dons (5-9, 1-5) led, 6-5, after two innings but couldn’t hang on in a Northern Conference game.