Garland Has Too Much Heat for Taft

Call Jon Garland a control freak.

Garland, Kennedy High’s bespectacled 6-foot-5 right-hander, was nearly untouchable again in the Golden Cougars’ 6-0 victory over Taft in a Northwest Valley Conference game Tuesday at Taft.

Garland (4-1) pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts. He didn’t walk a batter or allow a baserunner past first base.

Only once did Garland throw three balls to a batter. Only twice did he throw two.

“He’s always like that,” teammate Adrian Perez said. “When he throws like that, we know they don’t have a chance.”

Perez gave Kennedy (11-5, 3-0 in conference play) all the offense it needed with a two-run home run off sophomore right-hander Justin Wade (3-1) in the fourth inning.

Perez’s blast triggered a five-run inning.

Garland drew a walk and scored in the inning. In the seventh, he doubled and scored on a single by Dave Lusk.

Taft (9-4, 2-1) committed three errors, including one in the fourth. But it probably didn’t matter.

“It was only a matter of time before our bats came through,” Garland said.

Garland, who lost, 1-0, to Bishop Gorman last week in Las Vegas despite pitching a two-hitter, nearly found himself engaged in another duel.

Wade (3-1) pitched three perfect innings, striking out four, before being roughed in the fourth.

“I knew he could pitch well,” Taft Coach Rich McKeon said. “But he impressed me at times.”

Garland retired the first eight batters before Mike Turnette delivered a ground single with two out in the third.

“I’m never concerned about being in a pitcher’s duel or not,” Garland said. “I just go out and try to pitch as well as I can.”