Savitt Leads Off, Central Valley Follows

Justin Savitt accomplished his objective, getting the Central Valley American Legion baseball team off to a perfect start in the District 20 playoffs.

The Central Valley leadoff batter hit the first pitch over the left-field fence in the bottom of the first inning to spark fourth-seeded Central Valley to a 6-4 victory over Woodland Hills East Wednesday at Birmingham High.

Central Valley will play Valley North in a winners’ bracket game of the double-elimination tournament tonight at 7 at Burroughs High. Woodland Hills East will play Palmdale in an elimination game at 4 p.m. at Valley College.

Savitt, Central Valley’s leading hitter with a .517 average, kept up the pace following his home run, reaching base four times.

“That’s my job, to be the table-setter,” Savitt said. “I need to get on and give the other guys confidence.”

Savitt doubled down the left-field line in the third inning and singled under third baseman Alfredo Seanz’s glove in the eighth. He was hit by a pitch in the fourth.

After Savitt’s home run, Central Valley (22-5) fell behind, 3-1. But it rallied for three runs in the third, tying the score on a triple by Vince Zuniga, who scored on a wild pitch by Jeff Spector.

Central Valley added insurance when Santiago Esparza led off the fourth with a single and scored on a triple by Max Santillian. Santillian scored on a single by Dan Palardy and Central Valley led 6-3.

Fifth-seeded Woodland Hills East (20-7) threatened in the eighth, getting two runners on with one out, but could only manage one run when Spector was thrown out at third by Esparza, Central Valley’s catcher.

Central Valley left-hander Oscar Fernandez (7-1) fought off the heat and fatigue in the ninth to get a complete game.

Fernandez gave up 10 hits, struck out three and walked one but was running out of gas after pitching seven-inning games during the regular season.

“It was hot, I was tired,” Fernandez said. “This isn’t like winter ball.”

Spector also pitched a complete game, giving up 10 hits in the first four innings, but only four in the final four. He had five strikeouts and walked one.

Zuniga, Esparza and Casey Roth each had two hits for Central Valley.