Cuccias Pitches Encino to 14-10 Playoff Victory

Jon Cuccias had two hits and pitched a complete game for Encino in a 14-10 victory over Van Nuys East in the first round of the American Legion District 20 playoffs on Tuesday at Burroughs High.

Brian Luderer, who had three hits, and Andy Campanella, who had two, each homered for Encino (14-9). Justin Bunch hit a grand slam for Van Nuys East (15-7), which had a 10-game winning streak snapped.

In another District 20 first-round game, Chris Gray pitched a four-hitter for West Hills in a 5-0 victory over Glendale at Birmingham High.

Gray (7-0) struck out five in his third complete game of the season. Gabe Crecion had two hits for West Hills.

West Hills (20-2) will face Encino at 3 p.m. today at Birmingham. Glendale (14-8) and Van Nuys East will meet in an elimination game at 3 p.m. today at Burroughs.

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In a District 16 makeup game, Camarillo beat Newbury Park, 14-2, at Camarillo High.

Camarillo pulled into a first-place tie with Westlake-Royal-Oak. The teams, which are 16-2 in the district, will play a three-game series this weekend.

Tennis

For the second time in three years, Gene Malin of Woodland Hills won the United States Tennis Assn. National Men’s Hardcourt Championships. Malin, 47, defeated top-seeded and defending champion Brian Cheney of Chandler, Ariz., at the Westlake Swim & Tennis Club.

Malin was seeded fifth.

Second-seeded Erin Boisclair of Agoura Hills advanced to the round of 16 of the United States Tennis Assn. Junior National Clay Court Championships for boys and girls 14 to 18.

Boisclair Tuesday defeated Anne Plessinger of Minisburg, Ohio, 6-3, 6-1, in the girls’ 18-and-under division in Memphis, Tenn. Boisclair, 15, will face Kelli Baskin of Marietta, Ga., today.

Nick Quatrochi of Boulder, Colo., defeated Dylan Mann of Canoga Park, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, in the third round of the boys’ 18 singles tournament in Louisville, Ky.

In girls’ 16 singles, Laura Chiminello of Melrose, Mass., defeated Darian Chappell of Camarillo, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in the consolation round at Virginia Beach, Va.

In the boys’ 14 tournament in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., No. 7 Steve Berke of North Miami Beach, Fla., defeated Nicholas Weiss of Woodland Hills, 6-2, 7-5, in the second round. Travis Rettenmaier (Camarillo) defeated John Michaels (Elkview, W. Va.), 6-3, 6-4, in a consolation match.

Softball

The Mid-Valley Magic, a 12-and-under traveling team based in Encino, has earned a berth in the Amateur Softball Assn. National tournament in Broken Arrow, Okla., on Aug. 9-13.

The Magic qualified for the tournament by defeating the Southern California Cobras, 3-2, in the championship game of the Pacific Coast Region At Large tournament in Garden Grove.

Bowling

Lesia Stark of Lancaster helped Team USA maintain its lead in the Brunswick World Team Challenge in Reno, Nev.

Stark is one of five members of Team USA, which won eight of 19 matches and posted a 194 average.

* Contributing: Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad.