Unarmed Valley North Wins, 10-6

Pitching-thin Valley North went on the offensive in a 10-6 upset of top-seeded Van Nuys East in an American Legion baseball District 20 playoff game Friday at Valley College.

Seventh-seeded Valley North used four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take control.

Valley North (23-6) remained undefeated after three games in the district tournament and handed Van Nuys East (24-5) its first playoff loss.

Valley North will face Woodland Hills West at 2 p.m. today at Birmingham High. Van Nuys East takes on Newhall Saugus in an elimination game at 11 a.m. at Birmingham.

Valley North will play Sunday for the district championship, regardless of today’s outcome. If Woodland Hills West defeats Valley North, it will play the winner of Van Nuys East-Newhall Saugus on Sunday. The top two teams from the tournament advance to next week’s Area 6 playoffs.

Catcher Micah Berger started on the mound for Valley North and was relieved by right fielder Bryan Gant. Third baseman Danny Eisenberg relieved Gant. Valley North built a lead with a nine-hit attack and held on with strong defense that was sparked by center fielder Tim Weigand.

Weigand caught nine fly balls, including a leaping, over-the-shoulder grab of a ball that appeared past him but instead ended the third inning, in which he recorded all of the outs.

Weigand also caught a long fly ball by John Puccinelli for the third out as Van Nuys East came up empty after loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“I never get that many balls, but it was fun,” Weigand said. “I loved that.”

Gant (1-0), making his first pitching appearance of the season, relieved Berger in the fourth and lasted just one-plus innings. But it was enough time for Valley North to turn a 5-4 deficit into an 8-5 advantage with four runs on four hits and an error in the top of the fifth.

Gant gave up one run with none out after walking the first two batters and surrendering a single to Pucinelli in the bottom of the fifth before Eisenberg took over.

Eisenberg, making only his second appearance on the mound, entered with runners at first and second and Valley North clinging to an 8-6 edge. He struck out the first two batters and retired Shawn Smith on a fly ball to center and limited Van Nuys East to two hits the rest of the way to earn his first save.

“We have no pitching,” Valley North Coach Matt LaCour said. “But we’ve been swinging the bats in the playoffs, and our defensive play has been excellent.”

In the fifth, Weigand doubled in the tying run and Ryan Cowsill (5-1) balked in a run with the bases loaded to give Valley North a 6-5 edge. Eisenberg and Loren Devries singled to drive in the other two runs in the inning and Valley North added a pair of runs in the ninth.

Valley North took a 2-0 lead before Van Nuys East took a 3-2 edge on Sean Hanrahan’s three-run home run in the bottom of the first.