Canyon Knocks Off Top-Ranked Villa Park

Sean McDermott couldn’t have asked for a better way to get revenge.

A year ago McDermott, a Canyon pitcher, took a no-hitter into the final inning against Villa Park but stumbled, losing on a three-run home run. Tuesday he had a three-run lead in the seventh, but this time, with the tying run at the plate, fate was kinder.

Instead of clearing the outfield wall, McDermott got a two-out come-backer for the final out to give unranked Canyon a 4-1 victory over the No. 1 Spartans in a Century League baseball game at Villa Park.

McDermott (4-3) pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and allowed only four balls out of the infield.

“This was kind of fun because it was payback. It feels good,” McDermott said.

The Comanches (13-10, 8-4) moved within three games of Villa Park (21-2, 11-1) in the league standings. The Spartans’ only other loss was to Long Beach Wilson, a team they’ve beaten twice.

“You’ve got to give Sean a lot of credit. He pitched an outstanding game and kept our hitters off balance,” said Villa Park Coach Tom Tereschuk, adding that the upset shouldn’t take too much of a toll on his team’s outlook.

“That’s baseball and that’s life,” he said. “We’re 21-2 and we’re not unhappy about that. I’m actually pretty pleased with the way we played today.”

The Spartans’ Brandon Averill (7-1) trailed only 1-0 until Canyon scored three runs after two were out in the fourth.

The Comanches scored on infield singles by Ryan Keys and Jon Hoisto and a two-base error when a fly ball was dropped in right field.

Averill had gotten out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third when shortstop Graham Ferguson caught Matt Fry’s line drive and doubled-up Hoisto at second.

Sean Pritchett had two hits and Scott Vine had an RBI single for Villa Park.