Cliffords Delivers Key Shot for El Camino Real

With ace pitcher Kurt Birkins pulled in the third inning and 10 of its batters having gone down on strikes, El Camino Real High’s baseball team was on the verge of elimination Tuesday in a City 4-A quarterfinal playoff game against Carson.

Up came All-City outfielder Woody Cliffords with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, two runners aboard and his team down by one run. With one powerful, dramatic swing, Cliffords muscled a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run home run, helping give the Conquistadores an improbable 9-8 victory.

“It took all we had,” said El Camino Real Coach Mike Maio, whose defending City 4-A championship team qualified for the school’s sixth consecutive semifinal appearance.

Birkins, removed after giving up seven runs, six hits and walking four in 2 1/3 innings, returned in the bottom of the sixth out of desperation. Reliever Jesus Gallo walked the potential tying and winning runs on base. Birkins gave up a run-scoring single to Craig Markel, then retired the next five batters for the save.

How El Camino Real (17-9) won is hard to explain. The Conquistadores finished with just six hits and struck out 12 times. Three El Camino Real pitchers walked eight batters.

In the end, the Conquistadores had the right player up during the game’s most crucial moment. Trailing, 7-6, with Carson left-handed reliever Anthony Bailes pitching, El Camino Real turned to Cliffords, the Pepperdine-bound senior.

“I was swinging for [a home run] all day,” Cliffords admitted. “It might have been a mistake, but it paid off. I was pretty pumped.”

As Cliffords rounded the bases, the entire El Camino Real team charged out of the dugout to greet him at the plate.

Another crucial factor in the victory was the relief pitching of junior left-hander Ryan Gunches, who threw 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball and gave the Conquistadores the chance to come back.

El Camino Real took a 4-0 lead in the first inning, keyed by sophomore Sean McElroy’s three-run double. But Birkins’ wildness combined with timely Carson hitting enabled the Colts (24-9) to score five in the second for a 6-4 lead.

The second time Birkins came in, he abandoned his curveball and simply dared the Colts to hit his fastball..

“The second time out, I said, ‘To heck with it.’ I just threw as hard as I could,” Birkins said.

Added Cliffords: “Birkins, man, he’s our hero. He’s iron arm.”

Birkins threw five innings, meaning he has five left if Maio wants to use him Thursday in a semifinal game against Sylmar, tentatively scheduled for Birmingham High.

Surviving Tuesday’s thriller left the Conquistadores thankful.

“Oh man, I feel relieved,” Cliffords said.