Studio City Loses Twice, Falls Out of Area 6 Playoffs

Brad McGahan is the kind of guy the Las Vegas casinos love. The only luck he has is bad.

Claremont took advantage of that, cleaning him out, 3-1, Saturday in the Area 6 American Legion baseball tournament at Ralph Welch Park in Pomona.

The loss eliminated Studio City. Claremont will meet Santa Monica for the tournament title tonight at 7:30 with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Yountville, Calif., beginning next Saturday.

McGahan, Studio City’s 5-foot, 8-inch center fielder, took the mound for only the second time this season, putting all 145 pounds into each pitch for nine innings. He struck out nine batters, only to have his second baseman boot a ball that led to the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.

“He’s a gutsy kid,” Studio City Coach Joe Contreraz said. “He’ll do anything you ask him.”

McGahan answered at the plate, too, but not loud enough. He hit a ball in the fifth inning that would have been out of most parks for a three-run homer. But there is no fence at Ralph Welch Field, and the drive resulted in a long fly out.

The beginning of the end for Studio City came in the top of the eighth inning. After McGahan struck out William Pope to lead off the inning, Don Kelley booted Jorge Paz’ grounder and Nicholas Ceci followed with a triple up the right-center-field alley--a hole the speedy McGahan usually closes--to drive in Paz. McGahan got Joseph Ingraham to pop to third and, after walking Jerald Cowan, Dustin Luton flied out to center to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Studio City’s Bruce Gomez singled and was awarded second base after a collision with Pope at first. But Peter Ortiz popped to short and Joe Contreraz struck out to end the inning.

In the ninth, Claremont added an insurance run on Tydon Hashioka’s triple and Louis Diaz’ sacrifice fly.

Studio City had plenty of opportunities to score in the first four innings, but left five runners stranded--including runners in scoring position in the first and third innings.

Gomez led off the fourth with a single, only to be erased when Ortiz hit a line drive that was snagged by Ceci at third and turned into a double play.

Studio City rallied to tie the game in the fifth innning on two hits and an error. Romo and Eric Garcia singled with one out, then catcher Luton, trying to pick Garcia off first, threw the ball away, allowing Romo to score.

Kelley walked to put the go-ahead run at second, but Gomez grounded to third to end the inning.

Romo, McGahan, and Gomez each had two hits for Studio City (22-12).

Earlier Saturday, Dave Reed tossed a four-hitter to lead Santa Monica to a 6-1 win over Studio City.