San Fernando Takes Title With Esqueda in the Swing

Granada Hills High slugger Rene Castillo felt as though he were handcuffed.

Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh felt nothing but frustration, but, oh, did San Fernando shortstop Alex Esqueda feel good after making life miserable for his Northwest Valley Conference rival in the Birmingham tournament Thursday at Birmingham High.

As San Fernando beat Granada Hills, 6-5, in the Blue Division championship game, Esqueda, San Fernando’s leadoff hitter, was four for four.

The game ended with the tying run on first base and Highlander Carlos Rodriguez looking at strike three, the first time he has struck out this season.

Granada Hills blew an opportunity to at least tie it in the seventh. But with none out, Mike Erwin at first and Castillo up with a 3-1 count, Stroh called for a sacrifice bunt. Castillo, who had blistered the ball in three previous at-bats, bunted into a force play.

“I wanted to hit, but he made me bunt,” Castillo said. “It was a fastball down the middle.”

The free-swinging Esqueda, however, felt no such restrictions. He drove in a run, scored twice and seemed to be in the middle of every San Fernando rally.

“I just swing at the first pitch I see,” said Esqueda, whose four singles led a 10-hit attack.

Esqueda said it was a big victory for San Fernando (12-6). The Tigers, he said, have felt overshadowed by fellow North Valley League teams Kennedy and Cleveland.

“I think we can hang with Cleveland and Kennedy,” he said after the Tigers played an error-free game and a depleted pitching staff held the Highlanders to seven hits. “Everybody just stepped up today.”

Stroh and the Highlanders were kicking themselves for letting down.

“Our pitch selection was terrible today,” Stroh said. “We have to score so damn many more runs to be competitive.”

Granada Hills (10-8) had averaged 10 runs in four previous victories in the tournament but stranded eight runners.

In addition, Rodriguez was called out for missing first base on what would have been a double to lead off the fourth.

For the pitching-thin Highlanders, Jarrod Penwarden, normally a shortstop, worked 3 2/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing two runs. Jay Carpenter (0-2) allowed three runs in a four-run San Fernando fifth.

Tiger starter John Vargas (5-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings.