Riordan Finds Stroke at Just the Right Time

The past two weeks could almost be considered a slump for Westlake-Royal Oak outfielder Matt Riordan.

Riordan tore through District 16 pitching during the American Legion season, leading the area with 10 home runs.

But he didn’t hit one the final week of the regular season, nor in the Area 6 playoffs. That is, until his seventh-inning blast over the left-field wall helped seal a 9-4 victory over Valley North in the championship game Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“The quality of pitching is a little better now. Maybe that’s why I haven’t hit any [homers] lately,” Riordan said.

In his previous at-bat, in the fifth, Riordan hit a triple to the base of the right-field wall that scored Mike McHargue for a 3-3 tie.

Riordan scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by the next batter, Matt Pitstick.

Valley North threatened to break the game open in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with one out in a 2-2 tie.

But Westlake reliever Bennie Lemos (2-0) got David Sark to hit a fly ball to center field. Joe Tillmon scored but Frank Dipoma was thrown out trying to advance to third, ending the inning.

Valley North was playing its third game in less than 24 hours. Westlake-Royal Oak, which will play next at Yountville in the state playoffs, could sympathize. In 1994, it advanced from the losers’ bracket to reach the final day of competition, defeating Arcadia in the first game before losing, 5-2, for the championship.

“I knew what [Valley North] was going through,” said Riordan, who played on that team. “I’m sure they were very tired. We wanted to get it over with early, not worry about a second game.”