Fatigued CV done in, 11-3

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — A frenzied game the night before left them tired and limited in their choices of pitchers.

Unfortunately for the members of the Crescenta Valley Junior Baseball team, a rested and stacked Encino squad awaited them in an elimination game of the Section 2 Tournament.

Encino scored seven runs in the first three innings en route to posting an 11-3 victory against Crescenta Valley at Scholl Canyon Park. Encino will play San Marino in the title game at 6:30 p.m. today at the same venue.

Encino might want to thank San Marino for leaving Crescenta Valley fatigued for Monday’s game.

San Marino defeated Crescenta Valley, 17-14, on Sunday night, scoring 13 runs during a sixth inning that forced Phil Torres’ team to use its experienced pitchers in the loss.

“[Sunday’s game] affected us,” said Joe Torres, Phil Torres’ son and Crescenta Valley’s starting pitcher Monday. “But it made us want this game more.”

Torres retired two of the first three batters he faced before allowing three consecutive singles that plated two runs in the first inning. A pair of costly errors in the following two innings gave Encino a comfortable lead that Crescenta Valley could not overcome. Torres tossed three innings, giving up eight hits, all but one singles, and striking out two.

“We just couldn’t make any plays to get out of it,” Phil Torres said. “We catch a fly ball, we make a play [in the infield] and it’s a different. They’re young players.”

On offense, Crescenta Valley ran into what Joe Torres said was the best pitcher of the tournament.

Encino’s Adam Cox pitched four innings, allowing just one run and five hits.

“I think [Cox] was the best pitcher we’ve faced,” Joe Torres said. “That team is the best team in the tournament. They can hit, they can run, they can play defense. They can do a lot of things.”

Torres and Josh Cook each reached base three times for Crescenta Valley. The duo each scored a run, as did Austin Brines.