High Schools: March 2008 Archives

Valencia High stole five bases in its 5-1 Foothill League win over Hart High of Newhall on Friday. Travis Amerian had four of them and freshman Christian Lopes had one.
Amerian was able to turn his steals into three runs as Valencia used its baserunners to distract Hart ace Mike Montgomery.
"Fos us, we gotta run," said Valencia coach Jared Snyder. "We like to put pressure on guys. Gotta take the good with the bad."
Every time Valencia attempted to steal a base, it turned out good.
Hart coach Jim Orzella said Valencia made his team struggle, drawing eight walks and making his pitchers work deep in counts with runners on base.
"Our game is dictated by the pitchers running the show," Orzella said. "They exploited our pitchers and took advantage of that."
As aggressive as Valencia was on the base paths, they played it a little conservative at times at the plate.
In the first inning, with runners at first and third with one out, Snyder had Tommy Ferndino, his clean-up hitter, bunt.
"It was his call," said Ferndino, who lined out softly to the first baseman for the second out of the inning. "I have a lot of confidence in my pushes and drags."
Evidently so does Snyder. With two outs and the bases loaded in the second, Snyder had Ferndino try to bunt again. This time he missed, then eventually struck out to end the inning.
When asked why he would let his No. 4 hitter bunt, twice, with runners in scoring position, Snyder said it's just the way his team plays.
"We don't have a four hitter," said Snyder. "We haven't had a four hitter since Jared Clark. It's what we practice, putting pressure."
Clark, who plays for Cal State Fullerton, hit .421 with 10 home runs as a senior for Valenca in 2004.

Rigo Ramirez, the catcher for Cleveland of Reseda's baseball team, stole home in Wednesday's 9-2 West Valley League win over Birmingham of Lake Balboa.
It was on a busted squeeze play in the fifth inning. Nick Kaid tried to lay down a bunt on the first pitch, but it was inside and got away from the Birmingham catcher.
"I was thinking I was gone, but I saw the ball get away and I started running harder," Ramirez said.
He also said it was probably the first time since little league that he's stole home.
He added a stolen base in the second inning. Birmingham pitcher Edgar Olmos picked Ramirez off first, but Ramirez broke for second and beat the throw from the first baseman.
So when was the last time the speedy catcher had two stolen bases in a game?
He didn't remember the exact game, but it happened once last year.

FULLERTON -- But the bad news is it took until 9 p.m. for the first pitch because of delays, so who knows when this National Classic semifinal between Crespi and St. Johns of D.C., will end?

St. Johns threatened but did not score in the first, and Crespi is ready to take its hacks.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

FULLERTON -- Hmm, already starting to worry about making press deadline tonight, as Crespi has yet to begin warming up for its National Classic semifinal vs. St. Johns of Washington, D.C., because the other semifinal is running late.

If starts much later than the scheduled 8 p.m. first pitch, that's going to be pushing it.

At any rate, it should be a good game. Crespi is 8-3, not the greatest record in the world, but the Celts remain heavily respected and, with a win, will surely remain the Daily News\' No. 1 team entering Friday's finale. Submarine RHP Harry Grace gets the nod for Crespi, and he's fun to watch because his delivery is unorthodox. Kid has good stuff, too. Lots of spin, and he throws hard.

St. Johns, meanwhile, is 6-0, and no less than NINE players are D-I signees, including center fielder L.J. Hoes, who has signed with North Carolina -- but only if he's not a top-three-round draft prospect, as expected. The designated hitter, Scott Silverstein, has 13 RBIs; he has signed with Virginia. Mike Loeb gets the nod; he hasn't pitched often -- no decisions this year, 3-0 as a junior and 1-0 as a sophomore -- but he has never lost a HS game. He is going to Davidson in North Carolina.

Will update when appropriate ....

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com