El Camino Real Rout Is Gunches of Fun, 12-1

Pitcher Ryan Gunches of El Camino Real High has his own sports psychologist, shortstop Conor Jackson.

“Please don’t get rocked, please don’t get hit hard,” Jackson advises Gunches before each inning when he’s on the mound.

“Now it’s like a superstition,” Jackson said.

Whatever motivation Gunches is using, it’s working. The senior left-hander improved to 5-0 with a two-hitter and also hit a home run, double and single as El Camino Real routed visiting Granada Hills, 12-1, Thursday in a five-inning Northwest Valley Conference baseball game.

The Conquistadores (13-3, 6-2 in conference) were in an ornery mood after losing to Granada Hills (12-4, 5-2) the day before. They responded by scoring 10 runs in the first inning, sending 14 batters to the plate. There were five stolen bases, four hits, three walks and two hit batters.

“This team has never taken losing very well,” Coach Bob Ganssle said.

Jon Bringuier’s fourth-inning home run, his seventh of the season, accounted for Granada Hills’ only run.

A scary moment occurred in the first inning when center fielder Jesse Dechter of El Camino Real was hit in the helmet by a fastball from Peter Gunny. Dechter was helped off the field and taken to Columbia West Hills Medical Center, where a CAT scan revealed he suffered a small skull fracture of the left temporal, according to his father, Mark, a physician. Dechter was expected to stay hospitalized overnight for observation.

Gunches’ three hits raised his batting average to .553. He also drove in four runs, giving him a team-high 21 RBIs. His 1.37 earned-run average is the lowest among local City Section pitchers.

“I don’t want to say we can’t be beat at this park, but it feels that way,” Gunches said. “I love throwing at home. I have complete confidence here.”

El Camino Real, the two-time defending City Section champions, trails Chatsworth by two games in the loss column with two West Valley League games against the Chancellors scheduled for next week.